Snow White and the Stable Boy
by Yato-is-Best-Girl
Summary: Weiss Schnee is the heiress to the Schnee Oil Company in Victorian England, she is stupidly wealthy and has everything a girl of 17 could want. She is filled with bitterness and has a heart of ice, but is also incredibly lonely and craves light in her life. Then one day her father hires a new stable hand, a Faunus boy named Sun. What will his presence mean for her? R&R!
1. Prologue: The Beginning

**SNOW WHITE AND THE STABLE BOY**

 **Prologue:**

 _Once upon a time, in the bustling city of London, lived a wealthy man. He worked and strived in life in order to earn and keep his fortune, mining riches like diamonds and gold in order to give to the kingdom he so loved._

 _His name, was Nikolas, and Nicholas loved to give to those he loved. His dream was to give his wife and child the richest, and fullest life they could live. He built his company's empire from the ground up, investing in oil, machines, transportation, and most of all, the future._

 _And when his daughter was of age, she was married to a man Nicholas knew and trusted, their love grew as did their joy. One day, the newlyweds announced the coming of their first child. Nicholas was aloft with happiness, and he absolutely adored the little girl, named for cold night in which she was born._

 _Winter._

 _After her, came two more children, Weiss, the middle daughter, and Whitley, the youngest son._

 _Weiss was different from her siblings, while they were prideful and well behaved, the child of already 8, would wander the city with her grandfather, questioning everything and gazing upon all she could see in wonder. Nicholas cherished his middle grandchild most of all, and it seemed the happiness of the Schnee family would only grow._

 _But tragedy, can plague any family's happiness…_

 _The children's mother, Willow, had fallen gravely ill._

 _Even the best doctors in London, could not find an explanation, or a cure._

 _They predicted, she would not see the coming spring._

 _The family mourned their loss, but a crack had formed in their bond. The children's father, Jacques, became obsessed with his work, often not coming home to his children for days on end. He became wrought with sorrow whenever he looked upon the faces of his son and daughters, only reminded of his lost love._

 _He began drinking, gambling, anything to fill the void Willow had left, but he was slowly destroying the love he had left._

 _One night, on the eve of the birth of Christ, the children waited late into the night for their father to return. He stumbled in, drunk, and attempted to ignore them as he retreated to his study. Weiss was desperate for her father's attention, and made the terrible mistake of showing him the Christmas present she had made for him._

 _It was a picture she had drawn, sloppy in the way only a child could have made it, of their family, including their departed mother._

 _Jacques became enraged at his daughter's picture, throwing it into the fire and shouting at her that mother was no longer a part of this family. Weiss became frightened and tried to comfort him, only for him to strike her across the face._

 _Furious, Winter gripped her mother's decorative rapier in her grasp, telling a servant to take Weiss and Whitley to their rooms. Nicholas was quick to end the squabble, before his eldest grandchild did something she'd regret._

 _That night forever changed the once happy Schnee family._

 _Winter had never forgiven Jacques, leaving the family home where she was born, and running away with her secret lover. She left a note and never looked back._

 _At this news, Nicholas urged Jacques to leave as well, to get away from the place that caused him so much pain, and find a new start out in the country. Taking his advice, the Schnee patriarch bought a lavish country estate, complete with 600 acres of land, a luxurious mansion with more rooms than just one person could count, a stable, and a forest along the edge of the property. There was even a garden he had built especially for Weiss' mother; she had loved nature, never able to be around it in the city._

 _She would be at peace in this new home._

 _The remaining members of the Schnee family took all of their belongings, and began their new journey._

 _But it did not solve their problems as Nicholas had hoped._

 _Jacques remained cold and uninterested in his remaining children, treating them more like pawns than his own flesh and blood._

 _Whitley followed in his father's footsteps, emotionless and bored in his everyday life, not knowing a time when their family had been truly happy. Not a time he could remember at least. He had the burning suspicion that his father had always blamed him for his mother's death, as she fell ill shortly after his birth._

 _And Weiss…_

 _She became cruel and icy to anyone who spoke to her, spending most of her time in her new home alone or avoiding those seeking her. Her mother had been her light, and Winter had been her idol. They were both so strong and brave, beautiful and graceful and everything Weiss wanted to be._

 _Now they were both gone._

 _And Weiss's heart…_

 _Had turned to ice._


	2. Chapter 1: The Servant

**Chapter 1: The Servant**

Sun Wukong, a strapping young man with tussled golden hair shoved beneath a slightly moldy green cap, and a build that clearly said he was a working boy, glanced down at the piece of paper in his hand once more.

As a man of almost twenty years, it was becoming harder and harder to find work in the city, especially as a Faunus. His golden simian tail twitched against his leg as the train rumbled beneath him. It was nearly impossible for Faunus to find work anywhere else but London, as the Queen's views on equality for them made London the most progressive and safe place for them. But due to the Queen's posh lifestyle, she often didn't see the Faunus discrimination outside of her beloved city.

It had become so out of control that an uprising had sparked some years ago, Faunus of every town and city in England rioting through the streets. Setting fires and even destroying the London Bridge. It was a dark and frightening time for everyone.

So the Queen damned her ignorance and enacted the Faunus Rights Act, stating that any hate crime, discrimination, or outward racism towards any Faunus was against her decree and therefor the law. It had been a big step in the name of equality, even if introverted racism still existed. Sun always noticed the sideways glances on the train, or the hate-filled glares and scowls of civilians as he passed them on the street.

It lead to him leaving the city and his human brother Neptune, earning a job in the country as a stable boy to a wealthy family. While it was true, London had more opportunities for a Faunus, it had become so crowded lately. The pollution and filth from the ever increasing industrial empire had made it extremely difficult for a boy who loved fresh air and nature to live there.

He saw a job opening for a sweet gig at a huge manor as a servant. Their old stable hand had retired so they needed a new one, and Sun was quick to snatch up the opportunity to live in a cushioned place like that.

The head of staff, Klein he said his name was, had given him the address and here he was, on the 11 o'clock train to the lush Atlas House.

Sun heard the conductor announce his destination coming up in a few hours, seeing an opportunity, he adjusted his coat and began to doze off. The roll of his compartment door opening interrupted his rest, as a short woman in a red dress and matching bonnet stumbled in, carrying a bag with her.

"Excuse me, would you mind if I sat with you? Everywhere else is full." She asked, dusting imaginary dust off her skirt.

"After you," he said, gesturing to the empty seat across from him. She smiled gratefully and lifted her case onto the shelf above them, plopping into her seat and sighing deeply. "Rough trip?" he joked.

The woman laughed, "Yes, my sister and I very nearly missed this train, we're traveling to our new jobs and the next train wasn't until tomorrow." She explained, adjusting her bonnet so some of her black hair poked through, Sun even noticed hints of red within her abnormally short hair. It was odd for a woman to have hair so short, aristocrats even deemed it unladylike to have hair so boyish.

Sun immediately liked her.

He offered his hand and smiled warmly, "Sun Wukong, ma'am."

She shook his hand and beamed, her large silver eyes displaying her pleasant nature like a looking glass. "Ruby Rose."

"It must be a small world if the only one I share my cart with is also traveling for new work." His tail curled slightly in amusement at her open awe at their coincidental predicament.

Ruby glanced at his Faunus appendage, and Sun half expected her to turn her nose up in disdain or even just leave hastily without another kind word to him. Instead she glanced back up to his face, still smiling excitedly in a child-like sense of wonder. "This is fantastic! Are you by any chance going to the Atlas House?"

"The very same."

"Really? Amazing! I'm starting to think it was fate that let this be the only cart with room to spare." She jested, giggling into her gloved hand.

They chatted for the remainder of the ride, Ruby was hired to be one the Atlas House's many maids to clean and serve the Lady of the home, and her sister had taken the job of the cook. She told of how her sister was quite the chef, even cooking for the Queen per her majesty's request. Recently however, their father had fallen ill, and Ruby's aunt and uncle found them a job working for the family that lived in the Atlas House.

Sun found that piece of information a bit odd. While yes the family that lived in the house held parties and conversed with their equally wealthy neighbors on several occasions, they heavily valued their privacy. He had not even been told their name by Klein, not thinking it a big deal at the time, he opted to learn more once his work began.

"Will your sister be meeting you?" he asked.

Ruby nodded, "She lives further out in the country." She glanced around as if making sure no one was listening before leaning in closer, speaking in a hushed whisper. "She lived there with her husband, but they recently separated so she's coming with me to start anew."

The young woman must be very trusting to confide in a man she just met with this kind of information, but Sun was not a blabbermouth and nodded once so his new companion would know her sister's secret was safe with him.

The conductor called once more, alerting the two that their destination was only a few minutes away.

They exchanged a smile, and Sun's tail curled happily towards his new confidante.

* * *

The train pulled away from the station, or, what could have been a station. The platform in which Sun and Ruby stood was exactly that, just a platform surrounded by foliage and forest. They must have been very far out in the country for the train station to be so outdated.

Nevertheless, they gathered their belongings and waited for the car Klein had told Sun would be sent for him, most likely Ruby as well seen as they were traveling towards the same location.

They waited for a good few hours in the heat of the august air. Ruby had removed her gloves and bonnet and shoved them haphazardly into her bag, Sun fanning his face with his cap as they anticipated the car's arrival.

"Maybe they were having trouble?" Ruby suggested, seated atop her suitcase and attempting to hide her discomfort from the heat.

As if hearing their prayers, the clopping sound of horses came up the dirt path towards the platform. A cart emerged from the trees being pulled by two spotted mares, driven by a man dressed in a butler's uniform. Pressed and soft looking, his vest made of pale blue silk as he tapped his crop against the mare's hide. "Mister Wukong and Miss Rose?" he asked, pulled to a stop before the pair.

Sun nodded. "I suppose that makes you Klein then?"

He gave a solemn yet friendly nod, adjusting the rough leather reigns in his hands, palms rough with callouses that no doubt came from attending to the family home for a good long while. Klein held the horses steady while the two youths assisted each other in loading their luggage into the back of the wooden cart, Sun grasping Ruby's hand as she gripped her skirts and took a seat behind the men. The young Faunus boy took his own seat beside Klein, watching as the older man flicked the reins and the horses began to pull the cart once more.

They rode in silence for a while, taking in the almost surreal landscape. For the first time in years, the sun shining through the tree branches that hugged the side of the dirt road, letting a kaleidoscope of greens as well as other colors seep through and warm his skin like a blanket. Ruby seemed in equal content behind him, humming a vaguely recognizable tune as she brushed her fingers along the jutting branches, Sun smiled lightly at her open childlike personality.

He adjusted his cap, pulling it lower as to shield his eyes from the light. "Miss Rose, I remember I was supposed to tell you that your sister has already arrived at the manor, she sends her regards in hopes you arrive safely." Klein told her, his jubilant smile spreading to Sun as they watched the petite woman brighten at mention of her sister. She thanked the head butler and continued to speak highly of her beloved sibling, of how they were always getting into trouble at home or how excited they had been when they learned they had successfully gotten a job working for the esteemed Schnee family.

The name perked his curiosity, for the name Schnee had not been mentioned in London for a good decade. Working previously in the factories, Sun did not pick up on most chatter concerning the aristocracy, but when they were briefly mention, say for a gathering they were holding that the wife would not cease gossiping about, the Schnee's were something of a taboo topic.

Around ten years ago, the Schnee family had apparently gone through a tragedy and moved to the country to escape the grief, but everyone in London always talked about them as if there was a dark and terrible reason behind their departure from the Queen's inner circle. They made it sound like the patriarch had murdered the constable and covered it up, which so happened to be one of the various rumors he'd heard on the subject.

Sun did not know much about the Schnee's, but he did know they payed well, and were willing to have a Faunus as their stable boy. He waved his tail as the forest began to part, revealing a much wider cobblestone road that most likely lead to the entrance of the estate.

The natural beauty of the forest they'd passed through was nothing compared to the pure majesty of the Atlas House. The land seemed to go on for miles, an endless expanse of luscious green grass perfectly pampered by the servants, the forest curling around the house in a crescent shape. A marble fountain bubbling with crystalline water sparkled in the summer light in the center of the driveway, depicting a bare-breasted woman holding a jug that spilled into the pool below.

However, that did little to measure to the manor itself.

To Sun, he did not think it appropriate to refer to it as merely a house, it was practically a _palace._ With three massive stories and two towers, splitting the mansion down the middle in perfect symmetry. The house glowed with light from within, the ivory walls of the outside almost glowing in an aura that screamed wealth. Sun wondered if the servants stayed within the house or in quarters of their own outside the family home. Most likely the latter; families this rich tended to want to separate themselves from the help as to avoid rubbing elbows with the lower class.

He could hear Ruby gasp behind him in amazement. "Oh wow… it's beautiful."

Klein chortled beside him. "Yes, the Master does enjoy the perks of his fortune, but I urge you both to be cautious, for her also heavily values his privacy."

Ruby blinked but nodded, not seeing it fit to question their new Lord Master's wishes. Sun also gave his agreement, for he also knew that his new superior had been with the Schnee family longer than most of the other servants if not them all, as he had explained over the telephone when offering the young man the job. He had become the family butler shortly after some kind of family tragedy, an affair involving the eldest daughter he had heard from the factory wives, or perhaps something similar to the like.

Whatever it may have been, was none of Sun's business, so he brushed those thoughts aside in favor of admiring the garish architecture. He could not even begin to fathom how only three members of a family made merry in such a large house, what would a man even do with so much room? The upper class loved the grandeur that came with their riches if nothing else, and what was more eye-catching than a mansion that would make the ladies of the court feel like insects.

He was viewing the second story of the building and its amusing gargoyle figures, when his eyes swept over the right center window. The movement was so quick and small he would have almost sworn it to be a trick of the light, but it was definitely there. A figure standing in the window, and from his weak vantage point, they appeared to be a woman.

Sun found himself staring until the figure disappeared. The cart pulled to a stop, pulling him from his thoughts as Ruby, in a less than ladylike manner, jumped from the cart with her bags and twirled around while laughing giddily. She was certainly excited to begin her new life, as was he. He unloaded his own belongings as Klein began to lead them around the main estate and bring them to the servant's quarters around back, where they would be living for the duration of their service to the Schnee family. Sun couldn't help but glance back into the upper-level window, slightly disappointed to find the figure gone from his sight, but quick to cheer up due to Ruby's contagious enthusiasm.

The Atlas House was sure to bring them both a new beginning.

* * *

 **HIIIIIIIII! I thought of this story while my power was out and haven't been able to stop writing since. While I understand it is heavy with clichés and tropes that is the point of the story, a classic romantic period piece of forbidden love and the labyrinth of high society through the life of an intelligent and strong female lead. Stories like that are like crack to me. And I love Snow Monkeys, I feel like if Weiss were to ever take interest in romance she would choose someone who shares her values as well as brings joy and "light" so to speak, into her life. and Sun fits that category. But I could go on forever, I hope you like the first chapter and hope you'll fav follow and review! Ciao for now!**


	3. Chapter 2: The Family

**Chapter 2: The Family**

Weiss Schnee did not come from an affectionate family. Perhaps if her mother had lived and Winter had not left they might have been a close and loving family, still in London, still happy. Thoughts like those would only lead to sorrow, she told herself, almost daily. With so much time to herself, as she preferred, it left little else to think about. She welcomed other thoughts, for instance if her father was planning a party to discuss business and trade, she had to think about what best to wear to the event. Or even her position as heiress to the Schnee Oil Company, how numb she felt while being presented to father's partners like a prized mare guaranteed to win gold in some event or another.

She woke up that particular august morning cold, her toes ice as she rose from her bed and fell into her silk slippers. The growing heat of the day did nothing to break the ever present chill of the Atlas House. Weiss had once read in a random book in the library that the Atlas House had been built by a pair of newlyweds seeking a brand new life as they began one together. The husband spent every penny he had building it, constructing it day after day with only his closest friends by his side until it was finished. It never was though, he had been deterred by his growing family, his wife had more children and his life's work had been forgotten in favor of his love for his family.

The house had been no less a disaster when her father had purchased it from the bank. It had taken a full year for the workers to prepare it for the wealthiest family in London, and by the time Weiss had first laid eyes upon the grand manor, she knew right away that all the warmth and love poured into it by its creator had frozen over and faded away. The walls and décor in every room were a dreadful swath of whites and shades of dull blue.

A knock against her bedroom door sounded softly. "Come in." she said, her voice emotionless and frigid as she stared out her window at nothing.

The ornate double doors opened to allow Weiss' personal maid to enter, a well-built woman with long black hair and a lace bow tied neatly on her head pushed a cart laid out with a display of gourmet foods for the young lady's breakfast. "Would you like me to stay, my lady?" Blake asked, the picture of a polite and obedient servant, ready to follow whatever orders her lady asked of her. Weiss absolutely hated that persona of hers.

"Why must you always insist on acting like you want to please me Blake?" she asked, her eyes remaining trained on a mourning dove, preening its feathers as it rested on the gargoyle outside. Blake said nothing, only looking at her lady in what was a poor farce of confusion.

"You are my lady, it is my duty to do as you ask of me." Her words were calm and monotone, as most of the staff in this house had come to be, but her tone of voice spoke the forbidden question. What did it mean to Weiss if Blake wanted to serve her or otherwise. It was not as if she had a choice in the matter.

Shortly after the uprising, the Faunus lower class faced an epidemic of poverty that nearly destroyed them. Children were forced to take jobs from the upper class who had spit on them so recently, and though they had won their rights, it did not change the fact that an indentured servant is by all means the _property_ of their employer.

They had gone right back to being slaves, and Blake had been one of them.

The domestic cat Faunus had come to the head of the family staff one night, covered in dirt and grime, having the audacity to ask for work. Being too compassionate for his own good, Klein accepted and groomed the spunky child into a disciplined housemaid and attendant to Lady Weiss since her youth. While they kept up the tedious face of master and servant, they had become closer than was considered appropriate. Due to their similar yet entire different upbringings.

Blake from dirt and Weiss from riches, they were both entirely alone in this world, and sought small comforts in each other's company.

It was pathetic really; a Faunus maid with nothing to her name was Weiss's only true friend.

"Do you think these new hands father approved will be anything like their predecessors?" she asked, looking her friend in the eye at last. Her hands were crossed over her apron, a smear of red blemishing the white fabric, most likely from preparing the meal that lay between them.

Blake's bow twitched slightly, revealing her curious undertone. "I believe they will be adequate, but only you can judge, my lady." A rehearsed yet genuine answer. She reached out and lifted the tray of food from the cart, carrying it to Weiss's desk and pulling out her chair for her. "You should eat something my lady, your father wants to speak with you in his study after breakfast."

The thread of warning woven through her statement told Weiss everything she needed to know. She would have to leave the safe confinement of her room for the day and speak with her father about business, most likely with one or more of his partners in the room with them.

She hated it when they were there, always speaking to her as the small and weak woman who was nothing without her husband or father and was therefore beneath them. It restricted her opinions viciously, having her agree with whatever garbage they spewed instead of being permitted to voice her own ideas and views to them. Then again, even if she were to speak her mind, she was only a woman. And what does a woman know?

Nonetheless, Weiss rose from her favorite spot by her window, moving to close the curtains when her eyes caught something coming through the front entrance. It was a horse-drawn cart containing people she had never seen before. They were certainly not friends of her father, for their smiles were too apparent on their faces. One figure in particular drew her gaze to them, from her vantage point they had short blond hair mushed beneath an ugly green cap, and a long simian tail that hung behind their legs.

One of these new servants was a Faunus, and quite openly so.

This already prompted Weiss to worry. Blake had only gotten so far in her life as her maid because she was instructed by Klein to hide her feline ears beneath a bow at all times, even when she slept and quite possibly even when she bathed. Her father would never tolerate a Faunus being in such close quarters with his daughter and heir, or to even work for him at all. He absolutely detested Faunus, much like everyone else in his inner circle. For Klein to hire yet another member of the suspicious community was absolutely ludicrous! What was he thinking?!

Just who did this new servant think he was anyway? Flaunting around his deformity as if it were completely normal, Weiss had no personal qualms with Faunus, but the unspoken social law went as if a Faunus were to serve a human they had to hide their animal traits. No questions asked.

This boy would not last long with such audacity. Her father would make sure of that.

"My lady?"

Blake's voice pulled her eyes away from the new arrivals at her doorstep, prompting her to straighten her gown and take a seat at her desk. "Thank you Blake, you are dismissed." She kept her voice low and clipped, as was expected from a human to a Faunus. Her maid's bow twitched once more as she gave a curtsy and left her lady in her solitude once more.

She did not eat much, noshing on a few sugared berries before abandoning her meal to prepare for her meeting with her father. Jacques Schnee was never known for his patience, especially those he considered his pawns, Weiss included. She adjusted the silver comb in her hair before smoothing out her skirts and exiting her bedroom, strolling through the seemingly endless hallways of ivory and cool blues until she reached the heavily decorated doors of her father's study.

Within those doors, she knew a coiled viper lay waiting for her to open them, there always was, whether it came in the form of a business man too big for his britches or Jacques himself. Whenever she walked into this room, something was asked of her that she would have stepped and spat on if given the choice.

That was just it though, she had no such luxury.

"I believe you must turn the knob to enter, sister."

Weiss's face melted into one of scorn, that ever annoying smirk plastered onto her younger brother's features so similar to her own. Even if he was standing there completely still and silent, Whitley always found ways to get under her skin, taking root and draining her energy like an alabaster-haired tick. "I'm fully aware of the process of opening a door, brother." She snipped, nowhere near in a good enough mood to brush him off like she normally did.

The slim and slightly gangly youngest child of the Schnee family chuckled at his elder sister's disdain. "I've just come to wish you the best of luck with father, I hear he wants to speak with you on matters other than business this time."

Her eyebrow quirked at this revelation. What could father possibly have to talk about other than her usefulness to him? "Pray tell, why do you suddenly care so much about what father and I discuss behind closed doors?"

She hated the way his smirk twitched slightly, and the way his eyes mocked her for not knowing something that he clearly did. It was his favorite game to force upon her, dangling information that could help her withstand Jacques and ripping it away when she so obviously needed it most. He loved torturing her so, as ways to display his resentment for being the only son of the Schnee name and being denied the company he felt he deserved.

Weiss tortured him with this in return. He hated always being one level below her even when one step ahead of her, just as she hated having to grasp at the straws he continuously threw into the wind.

"Perhaps I am just bored, and looking for something more entertaining." He taunted. "I also couldn't help but notice Klein bringing our new maid and stable hand to the servants quarters earlier, how truly plucky for a Faunus to flaunter their disfigurement so boldly, I believe their presence will be quite enjoyable."

Weiss felt a stab of pity for the very same boy she had seen outside, knowing that Whitley planned on manipulating them into doing whatever he wanted by holding their Faunus identity over their heads. Holding flames to the stake they were tied to by his lying and deception, licking and burning until nothing remained. She had seen it before, when his previous personal butler had quit after an incident the other servants did not speak of in fear of angering her father.

"Here I thought your butler prior was enjoyable enough."

Whitley's playful smirk turned down into a distasteful frown for a moment before he simply shrugged his shoulders, seemingly apathetic towards the subject. "He was… unsatisfactory, but I have faith that this new maid full of spunk and spirit will be a much more intriguing toy."

His words did the opposite of put her at ease. Her brother was a boy who was not fond of the female gender, often blaming herself, their wayward older sister Winter, even their deceased mother for his blights. If his new personal hand was a woman, then she was sure to fall from cheerful to miserable by the end of the week.

"Besides, it's not the help you should be worried about sister, earlier today I heard father conversing rather loudly with someone in his study."

"Is that so?" she inwardly rolled her eyes.

"It sounded rather heated, I wouldn't put it past General Ironwood to be so bold as to challenge father."

General James Ironwood of the Queen's military force was a powerful figure in England, as well as her godfather. He and her mother had supposedly been good friends in their school days, their friendship lasting through the years up until her marriage to Weiss's father and the birth of herself and her siblings. When their mother died, Jacques was all too quick to take advantage of the close relationship between his wife and her majesty's trusted general to weasel his way into the queen's close-knit circle.

Despite their constant butting of heads, James Ironwood had remained a part of his godchildren's lives, even if Whitley wanted nothing to do with the general. To know that he was very possibly in her father's office was enough to settle her nerves if only a little.

Her brother turned up is nose and turned to go spread misery elsewhere. "Try not to anger father too much, as you tend to do so frequently." He did not have to look at her to know she was trying to burn a hole in his head with her glare.

Weiss returned her gaze to the handle of the door of her father's study, the glinting silver making her eyes ache as she refused to blink.

She suddenly envied the husband and wife in the records of the house, feeling contempt and jealousy towards their warmth and happiness that had been meant to fill this manor. Instead the walls were washed in ice that numbed her to her very core.

The Atlas House was truly a place of freezing cold woe.

* * *

 **Hello again! I have to say I am getting really into writing this, making theories and twists and all sorts of fun stuff. Please let me know what you guys think in the comments so I can keep writing! Also, did anyone pick up how prickly Whitley got when Weiss mentioned his other butler? Hmmmmm... also let me know what you guys thought of that. I love hearing fan theories and making up my own. Although doing it to my own story is kinda lame and irrelevant huh? XD Anyway, hope you guys are liking it! Ciao for now!**


	4. Chapter 3: The Cook

**Chapter 3: The Cook**

Having not lived in the vicinity of castles and mansions in his life of nineteen years, Sun was always accepting of any living quarters he was given, even if sharing that one-room apartment with Neptune for so long had made him a little sanded down in terms of what it meant to have _plenty of room._

His new dwellings were quite small and drab to the wealthier eye, chipped paint along the walls and splintering wood for floorboards. One bed with a mattress littered with dust and lint, a table and chair for a jug and basin Sun would use to clean himself, and a dresser with a note resting on the surface. The letters swirling and practiced and fancier than his own chicken-scratch.

Sun set his bags down and flopped on the bed with a disheartening creak, "Not exactly Buckingham, but it's better than my old place!" better in the sense there were no insects crawling about on the floor and walls.

After putting his things in their respective places, he picked up the note and read through the experienced calligraphy with a little bit of effort, as he hadn't been around the aristocratic block enough to be able to read such fancy writing with ease.

 _Welcome to the Atlas House Mister Wukong, I hope you are settling in nicely and look forward to having you as our new stable hand. Once you have unpacked meet me by the stables so you may begin your work for the day. Also, as distasteful as it is, it would be best if you were to conceal your Faunus attributes during the day, as it causes the Master the upmost discomfort. I hope you understand._

 _Best of luck._

 _-Klein Sieben_

Sun blinked. He set the letter on his bed before he looked at his reflection in the mirror mounted on the door, particularly at his tail.

Was that really the rule here? That Faunus weren't allowed to look like Faunus?

It was a little intimidating to be honest. He hadn't known when he took the job that he being a Faunus was such a blatant issue, but at least the head of staff didn't seem to mind. From his note he even seemed a little embarrassed for having to ask him of such a thing. It wasn't too surprising, someone of the upper class having qualms about _his kind_ , only made worse by the uprising and the Queen's decree. They were forced to hide their racism, and a rich man being forced into a corner is a very dangerous thing.

Not wanting to start rough on his first day, Sun dusted off his pants and set his jacket over the back of the chair. The least he could do was look the slightest bit decent for his new boss, even if Klein seemed like a lenient man that would not break his back for being a bit dirty among the horses.

He turned back to the mirror, not feeling comfortable in this situation, but having no choice anyhow. His tail curling up tightly as he attempted to tuck it into his pants for the first time in his life. It was wildly weird and uncomfortable, but he managed to make it look like he had nothing resembling a tail attached to his body.

Sun adjusted his cap and went to start making his way to the stables to meet Klein.

It took a few minutes, but he managed to find the stout butler outside of the ridiculously flashy structure. It was bigger and more intricate than any stables he had seen in the city; the ceiling was at least twenty feet high, with two expanding rows of stalls stationed across from each other. Each one containing a horse, most likely more expensive than he was. The place also included a corral, a feeding trough, a rack with bridles shinier than he thought they could be, and a pasture that could contain half of London.

"Not what you expected?" Klein asked when Sun found him with one of the mares that had been pulling the cart earlier. She was a spotted Clydesdale with a braid in her chocolate mane, contently chewing on the air.

He laughed breathlessly, "It's definitely not a barn, this place is practically another mansion."

Klein chuckled, a warm sound that made Sun feel like asking him if he could sit on his lap and tell what he wanted for Christmas. "Come on then, let's get to work." He herded Sun over to the mare, a stool set in place with a set of brushes, combs, and a hoof pick. "I trust you know how to handle horses such as these?"

"I cleaned the carriage horses in London when I was ten, not something you forget." He laughed humorlessly, remembering how much muck and grime he had to scrub out of the horse's coats when the day was done. How he would return home and have to shed a layer of skin before his hands were truly clean enough to touch anything of value.

"Then you can start with Molly here and work your way down the line, they need to all be cleaned, picked, and given fresh hay, think you can handle it?" his bushy left eyebrow arched in a questioning manner, one not meant to be antagonizing, but appreciated all the more.

Sun gave his new boss a hearty salute, tipping his cap. "You can count on me sir!" he declared.

Klein gave a firm nod, "You will be called for supper when the work is finished, good luck to you Mister Wukong."

He gave a wave as he watched the butler go, before turning to Molly and giving her a good pat on the back.

"Let's get to work girl."

With that his new job officially began.

* * *

It was well into duck when Sun all but collapsed into a randomly placed chair in the manor kitchen, having cleaned himself _twice_ after a rather gutsy stallion appropriately named Tundra, kicked over his wash bucket while Sun was combing mud out of his stark white mane.

He should have known that wealthy horses would be spoiled.

"Rough start?" a voice asked over the dull roar of the oven.

Sun turned and was met with the sight of a very large woman, with golden hair that put Rapunzel to shame and a… _healthy_ bosom to match. Her lavender eyes blinked playfully as she gave him a smirk, wiping her hands on her smeared apron.

"I'll take that as a yes." She laughed, going back to what she was doing. It appeared that she was cooking something, and by the smell of it, something delicious. Sun very nearly started _salivating_ , it wafted over him like a blanket of savory vapor, vegetables and various spices, and what he was _certain_ was searing duck. He had never eaten duck in his life, but he had heard the stories.

"Smells good doesn't it?" she asked, ebbing confidence from her hair to her leather boots hidden beneath her uniform.

Sun nodded eagerly, "Yeah, what're you cooking?"

"Crispy duck with basil fried rice and coconut curry, wanna taste for me?" she dipped a spoon into her bubbling concoction of flavor and held it out to him. He leaned forward and accepted the offered sample, almost fainting once the curry hit his tongue.

It was bursting from every seam with flavor, the soft sweetness of the coconut paired with the chilies in the rice was definitely something he would stay up all night thinking about, after begging for another taste that is. "It's amazing," he gaped in awe.

The woman beamed, "Great! It's Lady Weiss's favorite I hear, so I was crossing my fingers for it to turn out good, and since you're such a great taster, have some more on me." She cut off a strip of the duck and laid it on a bed of rice before pouring a ladle of curry over the whole thing, handing him the steaming meal as he stared at her as if she had grown another head.

"Won't you get in trouble for this?" he asked, hesitant to dig in even though his hands were trembling from anticipation.

She laughed, gesturing to all that which she had prepared, "All this is for three people, I'm sure they wouldn't miss another serving, upper class are all about calories or something." Now that she pointed it out, Sun thought the amount of food before him could be enough to feed an entire lower class block for a week. It was definitely more than enough for only three people.

"Well, thanks!" he grabbed the spoon she had given him before and tore into the gourmet food like a ravenous wolf, manners be damned. After a long day of shoveling horse manure and grooming uptight whinnies like Tundra, Sun deserved a hot meal. "I'm Sun by the way," he introduced himself through a mouthful of food.

"Yang Xiao Long, nice to meet you Sun, you new to this place too?" she asked, giving the curry in the pot another stir. Her speech and actions gave her away pretty quickly, she was a lower class worker just like him. Who got a classy job from a kind butler at a mansion made for only the richest birds in England, truly a stroke of luck to whomever Klein came across who wanted to work for anything offered.

He nodded, swallowing another spoonful of curry. "Yes ma'am, just came in today actually."

Yang whipped around, ladle still in hand, "You were the boy that came in with Ruby! She was so excited to have made a friend on the train."

Sun smiled, "You must be the sister she kept mentioning, she said a lot of good things when we were talking." The elder sister of the petite girl in red seemed proud of this revelation, smirking with her hands on her hips.

"I am amazing aren't I," she mused, going back to her curry and giving it a final stir before sniffing it appreciatively and nodding, approving of her work. "Can you grab some soup bowls for me? They're in the cabinet behind you." She pointed to an armoire behind him filled with the brim with fine china. He found the soup bowls rather easily after riffling around for a good thirty seconds, he choose the porcelain bowls painted with decorative cherry blossoms, each one a soft pink that was delicate yet vibrant against all the whites and blues of the house's décor.

Yang prepared each serving with practiced ease and precision, until they were so extravagant they looked too perfect to eat. Sun begged to differ on that statement, already considering asking for another helping. Before he could voice his hunger, the doors to the hallways that lead to the family dining room were pushed open by a familiar face.

"Sun! How was your first day?" Ruby squealed with glee. Gone was her expressive red dress and matching bonnet, now replaced by a crisp and clean maid's uniform, complete with a freshly washed white apron and matching ruffled bonnet in her short hair. The change was odd but not at all unpleasant, she still looked as cheery and ready to work as ever, if not a bit tired from her full day, as they all were.

"A bit rocky, but nothing the new stable boy can't handle."

Ruby giggled, "That's great," she looked over at her sister, "Yang is the food ready, I need to bring it out."

"All ready for consumption, and if they don't like it I'll eat the whole pot." She proclaimed, helping Ruby load the meals onto a silver ornate cart along with a crystal bottle of what smelled to be brandy. An odd choice of drink. Who drank brandy with duck?

"The whole pot?" Sun questioned, looking at the two as if they were insane.

"She's done it before, it's horrifying." Ruby warned.

Yang scoffed, "She means incredible."

"Incredibly crazy more like." Sun added, earning a laugh from the smaller girl and eventually Yang caved and laughed along with them.

She shrugged, "Yeah, yeah, better get those out to them before they get too hungry."

Ruby nodded and pushed the doors open, pulling the cart with her and being careful not to jostle the curry too much, she did not want to spill anything on her first day. The two blonds watched her disappear down the hallway, hoping the Schnee's would like the culinary creations of their new cook.

Yang tapped Sun on the shoulder, "Shouldn't you be getting ready? Klein is introducing us to the family after dinner."

His heart stopped.

"Huh?"

"Yeah, they have to know what we look like otherwise we might get confused for intruders, you might want to go change."

She was right. He looked down at his muddy boots and dirt-stained pants, not to mention he _still_ reeked of horses, he would have to change and clean himself again, and quickly at that. Without another word he bolted out the door that lead to the back patio, jumping off the edge and hurrying to his quarters.

He almost slammed his door shut, scrambling for a set of clean clothes in his dresser when he came across a fresh butler's uniform similar to Klein's, only these clothes came with white gloves meant to hide his calloused palms from the soft-handed Schnee family. Sun almost wept with joy,

"Thank you Klein."

* * *

Dinner was bland, quiet and tedious to be frank. Weiss ate her curry in silence, marveling at the flavor yet outwardly putting on the façade that it did nothing to impress her, as was Whitley, as was their father.

Jacques sat at his usual place at the head of the table, a good five feet of horizontally placed marble between him and his children. He ate his food mundanely, as if it bored him simply to death, to him any meal was beneath his standards. It did not matter if it was prepared by the chef of the Queen herself, any food he consumed, if any, was stale and lackluster. So much like the world he forced on himself and everyone around him.

Weiss did nothing to acknowledge the three unfamiliar faces standing off to the side, perfectly still and firm, like statues. She had spared them a glance when she entered the dining room, figuring them to be the new servants her father had hired, of allowed Klein to hire. Jacques would never knowingly hire a Faunus to work on his property. She noticed the golden-haired boy was taller than she had imagined, muscular but not bulky like so many other stable hands that had passed through the Atlas House. His Faunus tail was also well hidden, a welcomed fact, as seeing any evidence of a Faunus on the premises would make Jacques blow a gasket.

Dinner passed quickly as usual, no words spoken, everyone's attention on their meal as they attempted to stomach the silence as well as the food, even if it was delectable and Weiss was trying to not eat at a pace worthy of a savage. She had not had a meal so grand with passion in a long while, for every chef she had ever had only worried about pleasing her father, and never about how highly they held their talent.

She would have to give some form of compliment to the new cook, the blond woman in the chef's coat who was furiously tapping her index finger against her knuckles. Even though she was a good few feet away from Weiss, the room was soundless enough for her to hear the pitter patter of her drumming fingers.

Once their food was thoroughly eaten, about halfway through as to not arouse suspicion or scorn from father for eating too much or too little, nameless servants cleared away the table, one bringing father his evening glass of brandy. Weiss had the urge to roll her eyes; he only drank in front of his children as a way to show his power over them. Instead of drinking behind his office doors, he drank in the presence of his son and daughter to declare that he was not afraid or concerned for their opinions, that he was in control, that he had full control over the both of them.

Klein entered the dining room, bringing nothing but his smile. The very same one that had been with Weiss ever since she was an infant still in her mother's arms. Of all the things that had been washed away by her father's storm of grief, anger, and madness, Klein had stayed through it all, and had been her rock through everything she face inside this dreadful house.

"Master Jacques," he greeted with a bow. Jacques giving nothing but a banal hum as he sipped the amber liquid in his glass. "May I introduce the newest members of your staff, Miss Ruby Rose,"

The small girl on the left end of the three strangers gave a shy curtsy, her short black hair dipped in red an oddity not fit for this house. She would most likely be asked, no, _told_ to keep it covered, even if it was rather a flattering cut for her cherub-like face.

"Miss Yang Xiao Long,"

The blond woman gave a curt bow, catching Weiss slightly off guard. Since when does a lady _bow_? Her name also sounded foreign, her vibrant yellow hair an obvious matter of fact as well. These new members of staff were not getting off on her father's good side, just by appearances.

"Did you just _bow,_ Miss Xiao Long?" Whitley snickered, his voice teasing and clearly mocking the woman.

Yang Xiao Long blinked, not expecting such a blatant jeer for the way she showed respect to authority. Obviously she was not accustomed to the traditions of being ladylike, adding more things to use to break her to father's list. He would most likely ridicule her by disguising them as the sweet nothings spoken by the slithering members of the aristocracy. "Apologies Young Sir, I was never quite educated on the proper curtsy."

While her words and tone spoke the apology she gave, her lilac eyes glinted with equal playfulness thrown right back in Whitley's face. Weiss had to admire her gall if nothing else, but that would not get her very far.

Lastly, Klein extended an arm to the Faunus boy, his tail now nowhere in sight. "And Mister Sun Wukong." The boy, Mister Wukong, gave a respectful bow with his palm over his heart. Weiss nearly snorted with disdain; his hair and face were smudged with remnants of grime, his tie was uneven, and she _swore_ he smelled like a barn. He was absolutely repulsive.

"They all look forward to serving you, Master Jacques."

Her father waved his hand dismissively, not caring about anything his head of staff was saying, or the people he was introducing. All he invested in at this time of night was his liquor, and if they were lucky, tormenting his children.

Seeing as his job was done, Klein and the three new servants, the maid, the cook, and the stable boy, took their leave for the night, leaving Weiss and Whitley alone with their father.

The room had drowned in silence once more, until Jacques finished off his third glass of brandy and dismissed them. Weiss did not watch her brother leave the table, for she was too invested in finding her way back to the safety of her bedroom so she could try to sleep away another abysmal day.

Once she entered her drab and lifeless room, she shut the door and fell into bed, not having the energy to slip out of her day dress and into something fitting for sleep. In her father's study today, they had talked about nothing and more for some time, before he brought up the topic of her most loathsome enemy in this world.

Her plans of marriage.

For it was improper for a lady such as herself to be of seventeen years and unmatched with a husband. Oh how she would love to spit in the faces of every polished and fragile suitor that came through the doors of the Atlas House. They were liked fine dolls the lot of them. Refined and beautiful, but easily broken, easily uninteresting, and easily replaced. They were all the same; cushioned boys brought up to believe they deserved her just because she was a woman with a powerful name and an even more powerful dowry.

None of them gave a damn about her wellbeing, opinions, or values.

She _despised_ all of them, but thanks to her father…

She would have to choose a husband by the end of winter.


	5. Chapter 4: The Lady

**Chapter 4: The Lady**

Weiss daintily sipped her earl grey, desperately wishing it was champagne or even her father's scotch. Anything that would make this meeting with her current suitor the slightest bit less unbearable.

Henry Marigold was the son of one of Jacques' eloquent business partners, who provided funds to transport Schnee Oil products to every possible corner of England. The Marigolds were probably the company's most trusted investors, now if only their son and heir was not such a blowhard.

The entire time they were in each other's company, Henry would not stop spouting useless information about himself, never asking Weiss any questions of value, such as how the company would be run once it passed to her and possibly him as well. Instead he opted to discuss how utterly pathetic his new gardener was, how utterly abysmal the boy made the peonies look. Weiss had never met a bigger brat in her life.

"That's very fascinating Sir Marigold, what happened next?" she smiled politely, reaching for a scone on the plate laid out between them. She even found the _china_ more interesting than this boy, the yellow sunflowers painted delicately onto the porcelain was a burst of color she appreciated more than she thought she would. This new cook definitely knew what she was doing, if the soft warmth she bit into was anything to judge her by. Bursts of blueberry exploded on her tongue, pairing exquisitely with her tea.

Of course Sir Marigold had to ruin her sliver of a good mood. "I had him fired of course, peonies next to the hydrangeas, I mean honestly what was that simpleton thinking…" Oh spare me, she thought. "What about you Miss Schnee? Or may I call you Weiss? What humorous stories do you have of your servants?"

To call that story humorous was seriously pushing her patience, but she shaded her disgust with an adorable disposition, sure it made her seem pretty and unintelligent, but she found it was the quickest way to end these horrid sessions.

She gave a jingling giggle, "Miss Schnee is fine, and I can't say I blame the boy, peonies as a symbol for honor and respect paired with the gratitude expressed in hydrangeas was a statement of your family's riches and honorable wealth, however if you were to have a boy who respected and honored you fired, that says more about _your_ intelligence than his own."

Weiss sipped her tea, taking silent delight in his shocked expression. Henry cleared his throat, a clear and fruitless attempt to reign her in and retake control of the conversation. "You know much about flowers, Miss Schnee?"

His jab at her amount of simple knowledge did nothing to phase her. She had learned the art of Hanakotoba while spending a summer in China with the Ren family, they were there to discuss the country's wealthiest nobles and their use of Schnee Oil in their businesses. Though they had refused Jacques' offer to be partners, Weiss had remained good friends with their son Lie Ren, who taught her the symbolism of flowers. It would certainly help any businessman or woman to be knowledgeable of the foreign country they were visiting.

Apparently Henry Marigold knew of no such manners.

"My apologies Sir Marigold, I wasn't aware I'd offended your ego." The look on his face once she spoke those words was absolutely priceless. He appeared both wildly offended and unsure of what to say next all at once, Weiss almost laughed.

"Miss Schnee, don't you think your words a bit harsh?" he asked, a slight warning in his tone. Of he, as a man, would try to hold imaginary authority over her, an obviously more powerful individual. He had guts, she gave him that much and nothing more.

She set her cup down with a small clink of glass. "No, Henry, I don't think my words harsh, in fact I hold them in the opposite regards." Weiss folded her hands in her lap and looked her guest in the eye, intensely focused as her icy blue gaze held his. "When I say you have a large ego and a mind the size of a sunflower seed, I am simply being honest, much like you were when you idiotically through your competent gardener to the streets. I do not like you Henry nor do I care for your pompous belief that simply because you were invited here that makes you superior to me,"

The poor boy looked as if he had been slapped. His shock faded into anger, "Why you…"

"And what's more, you have the utter arrogance to think that since you were called here like a hound to scraps, you think that means you will be my husband by this time next year, well you're pitifully mistaken."

Weiss rose from the table stationed in the sitting room located between the indoor garden and the dining room, brushing down her skirts and turning away from Henry as if he was not worth her time. "Good day Sir Marigold, Ruby will escort you off the premises."

The small maid was at the boy's side in an instant, waiting for him to accept her escort so she could follow her Lady's instructions. She gently placed her hand on his back when he flinched away from her with a cruel sneer as if her touch offended him more than Weiss's words ever could.

"You will not be so haughty when my father hears of this _Miss Schnee_." He spat, tearing his coat from the back of his chair and storming out of the room, ignoring Ruby as she tried to escort him.

Weiss let out an exhausted sigh, massaging her temple as to try and relieve the headache that had bloomed when Henry had first walked into the room. She almost felt insulted that her father would choose such a conceited and self-righteous _boy_ as Henry Marigold to be her potential husband. She knew what he was thinking at the time; that the Marigolds had the most money, therefor their son was an automatic ringer in his eyes to marry his daughter to. Unfortunately, Jacques had an endless number of suitors for Weiss to eventually pick one that made her want the gag the least.

Though she immensely doubted it.

She needed to clear her head, get out of this room. She needed a small break before diving back into the madness. Her prized stallion immediately came to mind, a gold medal winning jumper gifted to her when she was twelve as a sign of good faith by a nameless transport investor.

As fiery and hot-headed the horse was, he had been no match for Weiss, bending the knee to her after only a month of training. He was a snowy white specimen splattered in dark freckles, giving him the appearance of a snow-covered earth. After making that comparison, she had affectionately named him Tundra.

Right now, she very much fancied a ride.

* * *

Tundra was by far the most difficult horse in the stables. Every time Sun tried to bring him out for grooming or bring him in from the pasture, the high-strung stallion would make the experience a living hell. His feet had been stepped on at least a dozen times, each, and his rea end still ached from when Tundra bit him while Sun picked his hooves.

The horse was a spoiled brat, and Sun pitied the poor bastard who had to saddle up and ride the oversized colt. Or, as he would come to find out, poor Lady.

It was around noon when someone came into the barn looking for him, and while he expected Klein, Sun was not unpleasantly surprised to find that a woman had let herself in. She wore a traditional coat and set of chaps, shiny black leather boots and a helmet tucked under her arm as she adjusted her spotless white gloves.

She couldn't be anyone other than the fabled lady of the house, Weiss Schnee, if her long flowing white hair and blemish-free ivory skin was any clear indication. Tundra snapped his teeth again, nearly taking Sun's finger off, making him realize he had been staring.

"Stable boy," she called, grabbing his attention.

At first he wasn't entirely sure she was addressing him, he had been introduced to her family after dinner last night so she knew his name. So why the formality? It wasn't like she had anybody with her she needed to impress.

"Uh… me?" he asked, pointing to himself.

Miss Schnee scoffed coldly, giving him a look that was in no mood for humor. "Yes you, I want Tundra saddled and fully prepped for my afternoon ride, and I leave no room for error, so hop to it."

Sun blinked, not expecting her to be so… frigid, in person, and to be quite truthful he did not know enough about her to develop an expectation. She did not seem pleased by his lack of a response, " _Today_ stable boy!" she snapped, her eyes narrowing into icy slits.

Not wanting to anger her further, Sun went about saddling Tundra and hooking him up to his bridle, the horse once again almost taking off a chunk of his hand. He almost gave him a good whop on the nose, but decided against it, as seen the horse's owner was waiting impatiently for him to finish.

He double checked the stirrups and tightened the strap around Tundra's stomach so the saddle wouldn't slip while Miss Schnee was riding, she took the reins from him when he held them out to her.

"Have a good ride."

Weiss froze at those words, "Excuse me?" she sneered.

Sun turned back to her, grooming bucket in hand with a rag slung over her shoulder. "I said have a good ride, ma'am?" he repeated.

The lady of the house shot him with a glare that could freeze over the Sahara, his shoulders tensed as her small frame made him feel much less than his six-foot-three. "You will address me as Miss Schnee, or do I have to send you crawling back to the Faunus _hovel_ you worked in before, _Stable Boy_."

The fact that she already knew he was a Faunus was unsettling enough as is, but for her to blatantly call him out so rudely and assume that his heritage meant he lived in a hovel was taking it a bit too far. "That was pretty rude for a lady, _Miss Schnee_." He voiced, placing his hands on his hips as his tail twitched in his pants.

Weiss looked absolutely appalled at his lack of respect. "H-how _dare_ you?!"

"Well isn't a lady supposed to be kind and courteous to everyone? Seems like you skipped that part ma'am." Sun knew he was severely pushing his luck by poking the sleeping grizzly, the lady of the house and therefore his _boss_. He could get into serious trouble if she told her father, but he was not a man who took insults lightly. If ladies of the upper class were so prudent on manners, then maybe they and Weiss could be a bit nicer to the staff.

"Just _who_ do you think you _are_? Speaking to me in such disrespect! I could have you fired for such incivility!" she screeched like a smoking bird, loud enough for Tundra to bob his head in annoyance.

Sun shrugged, "My apologies ma'am, but all I did was wish you a good ride, please forgive my polite and well-meaning comment." He gave a small bow with his hand laid dramatically over his heart.

Weiss did not look pleased with his answer, her anger threatening to boil over any second now. "Is that supposed to be some kind of _joke_?" when he shrugged again, that was when she took a deep inhale through her nose and steeled herself. "When I return, there will be consequences for this."

She stuck her toe into the stirrup and hoisted herself into the saddle, piercing him with a glare as she gave Tundra a kick and trotted off down a dirt path into the forest.

Sun gave a deep sigh as he raked a hand through his hair. Maybe making an enemy out of the lady of the house was not the best idea, he thought as he leaned against one of the stalls. While it was true he didn't take insults lightly, he also tried to not take them to heart and move on, but when his _boss_ was the one dishing them out, he found himself at a crossroads.

He had to be pleasant and obedient to Miss Schnee, but he also did not want to be a pushover. So far, he wasn't off to the best start with Weiss Schnee.

A nibbling on his sleeve pulled Sun from his thoughts, as Molly chewed on his shirt probably thinking it was a delicious carrot or something. He gently shoved her head away, giving her nose a loving rub. "Sorry you had to see that Mol, she's kind of a hothead huh?" he whispered, the mare blowing air out of her nose in response.

"I should apologize shouldn't I?"

She whinnied and he sighed again, "Yeah… I think so too…"

Sun gave her one last pat on the head before moving on to the tack room to polish the saddles, trying to get his thoughts in order for how to speak to Miss Schnee again without her yelling at him.

Even so, he did genuinely want her to have a good ride.


	6. Chapter 5: The Arrangement

**Chapter 5: The Arrangement**

Weiss was absolutely seething, to the point where once she pulled Tundra out of his canter into a steady walk, she had no idea where she was. She pinched the bridge of her nose, letting loose a heavily annoyed groan, and cursing that Faunus boy under her breath. Even in the forest with no one to hear but the crickets and birds, Weiss still feared her father's judgmental gaze.

The fury she felt at the sheer impudence of that boy, combined with the stress and annoyance building up thanks to her meeting with Henry Marigold, was surely causing her to sprout worry lines in her young age.

How _dare_ he?

How dare he _speak_ to her in such a manner? Who was he to tell her she was being _rude,_ of all things? She was his superior and he her servant, he had no right to speak of her so boldly. Perhaps in London the lower class thought themselves as equals, heaven forbid, but out in the country servants were treated as exactly what they were. The help. However, the nerve of this Faunus boy was quite worrisome, he would not keep his position if his attitude continued.

While Klein seemed to have some manner of trust in the boy, Weiss saw him as an ill-mannered ruffian rapscallion who did not know his place and was in desperate need of a harsh lesson. She very well couldn't tell father of this incident, oh no, that would undermine her ability to handle a problem herself, show cowardice, and make him reconsider her place as his sole heir.

The only way to properly deal with this hoodlum was to deal with him herself.

The very thought of being in his vicinity again made her skin crawl, but for the sake of a disciplined servant who did not talk back and did not disrespect her, she would bear the weight.

Weiss kicked Tundra into a trot, guiding the horse back down the path she came and making a sharp left along the path that lead to the brook. The steady bounce of her steed's steps allowed her to think on how to punish the knuckle-dragging lout properly. He was hired as the new stable hand, tending to the horses and such, and while Tundra looked cleaner than he had in quite some time, that left little to no elbow room as to how the Faunus boy would suffer for his rudeness. He already worked among muck and filth all day, so what made him tick?

She had not spoken to him long enough to critically analyze him, perhaps more data was needed before she made her decision. Weiss bit her tongue, forcing herself to stomach being in the presence of a Faunus worker for possible hours in a day just to make sure he was paying the penalty for showing Weiss Schnee scorn.

It had to be done, she would solve his manners problem and make sure he payed dearly for such a bold and inappropriate transgression.

Weiss would educate the stable boy in the ways of high society behavior, and prove she could solve problems no one knew of on her own without anyone else.

She would make his life a living hell if she had to.

* * *

"You did _what?!"_

Sun drummed his fingers against the table in the kitchen, slightly agitated by his thoughts as he told Yang and Ruby of his encounter with Miss Schnee in the stables.

He winced as he repeated his sin to them, "I told her she was rude, then she stormed off, and I got back to work, haven't seen her since." Yang burst into a fit of laughter, clutching her gut as tears of mirth built up in her eyes. Ruby on the other hand looked extremely worried for him,

"Yang, it's not funny! Sun could get in a lot of trouble for something like that!" she chastised, her sister stifling her giggles in her hand, none of them noticing the kitchen door swing open behind them.

"Shouldn't you three be working?" a voice the three didn't recognize scolded.

They turned to see a woman in a maid uniform like Ruby's, with long black hair and a lace bow tied atop her head. Her air was tense yet questioning, almost as if she was analyzing them for their secrets using facial features alone. She was strait-backed and cat-like with her golden yellow eyes and triangular face.

Yang leaned her chin on her palm, propping her elbow on the table as she gave the newcomer a charming greeting, "Well _hello_."

Sun swore to every entity known as holy, he saw her bow twitch as her features scrunched in annoyance. "Miss Schnee has returned from her ride, and has requested the presence of one _Sun Wukong_ in the sitting room." She explained, her voice steady and strictly business towards her fellow servants.

He winced, not looking forward to the harpy he'd surely face, even if he _did_ feel slightly bad about being harsh with the young lady. It was his job after all to tend to the horses, the stalls, the pasture, and to be polite and show respect to the family of the house. It was a basic rule of servitude to always treat the lady of the house as if she is the Queen herself, and Sun treated Miss Schnee no better than someone who had stuck a thorn in his tail.

He owed it to her to apologize.

"Thank you, uh…" he realized he'd never learned the mysterious maid's name.

She sighed, turning back to the door, "Blake, that is all." Without another word she disappeared back through to door from which she came.

Sun exchanged glances with Yang and Ruby, the older sister shrugging as she too was confused by the cold nature of their newfound comrade. "Well _she_ was friendly," Ruby commented, scratching her hand beneath her milky satin gloves.

He shrugged as well, before cracking his knuckles and deciding to bite the bullet while he was still a breathing man. "I should go," he told them, pushing the kitchen door open and following after the maid who called herself Blake.

"Try not to get frost-bite!" Yang called before the door finally closed, separating Sun from them and preventing him from battling her quick remark with one of his own. Unfortunately, he had other matters of higher importance to get on with.

Better to cauterize this wound while it still bled, or he would never survive this job.

* * *

While Jacques Schnee was not a man to grace his children with his presence unless he wanted something from them or they had somehow earned his scorn, when he so happened to call Weiss to the sitting room for a discussion with him, she was quite thoroughly terrified of him.

It was foolish of her to believe that he had not heard of her tea with Henry and the utter fiasco it had resulted in. The Marigolds were furious, voicing their animosity towards Jacques and his heinously impolite daughter in a strongly-worded letter. The very same letter her father clutched angrily in his hand as he stood before Weiss, his eyebrows knit tightly together as the air in the sitting room grew ever thicker.

"Do you wish to explain to me, how you could be so absurdly _injudicious?"_ he barked, his words burning in her chest like a hot iron poker used to prod the coals in the fireplace.

Weiss remained silent, seated on the sofa with her hands folded neatly in her lap as her father cut into her. "Do you have the slightest _idea_ as of what you've cost us today? The Marigolds may very well pull their funds from the company because of the stunt you pulled!"

It was not uncommon for their novel meetings to take an ugly turn such as this. One would think she would have learned at some point what to expect and how to survive Jacques' bouts of fury directed at her and nothing else. There was never any other possibly culprit than his silly and capricious second-born.

"If it wasn't for the tens of other suitable matches barging down our door, you would have ruined any chance of inheriting this company Weiss, do you understand me?" he demanded.

Her voice was low and controlled, fighting back the urge to spit on his suitable matches. "Yes father, my actions were not sensible, and I deeply apologize." She lightly bowed to her father, her stomach flaming with concealed anger.

The idea of a woman having to marry in order to inherit anything of value was outdated and imbecilic at best, the Queen had no husband and was ruling with kindness and civility that could rival any married woman to date. She spoke her mind and feared no man, Weiss wanted more than anything to have power such as that for herself. But the respect and trust of men to a woman leader is not a thing easily obtained.

If Weiss had to fight tooth and nail for respect, than she damn well would.

"Henry Marigold was not a suitable match." She said without hesitation.

"Excuse me?" her father practically sneered.

"The boy was lacking in intelligence as well as social standing as he avoids parties and gatherings like the plague, he told me himself he finds them boring, he would not make a good husband to me nor would he father intelligent and sociable children. I did not believe him a proper husband father."

Weiss waited for his response, expecting to be scolded once more like a child caught with mud on their new Sunday dress. "Is that so?"

It was not shouted berating as she had expected, but it was not quite a forgiveness either. Not that she thought her father was so capable of such a thing.

"Yes, please forgive me, but he would have run the Schnee Oil Company into the dirt had we married." She looked Jacques in the eye as the room was thrust into heavy silence once more, she inwardly wished for him to respond instead of stare at her in the sense that she actually did spit in his face.

Instead he let out a deep sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Very well, I will arrange your meeting with another suitor by next week, is that clear?"

It was not a question. "Yes father." She bowed again, not raising her head until he hummed in acknowledgement and withdrew from the sitting room, leaving Weiss alone.

She let out the ever expanding breath she had been holding, leaning back against the sofa and staring at the ceiling. Speaking with her father was always an uphill battle, a vicious tug-of-war of who was in control of the conversation. Klein once told her she was more like her father than Jacques knew what to do with, so their butting of heads was to be expected. It was expected, but that did not mean the same as welcomed, just the opposite.

Weiss dreaded any word shared with Jacques, all the man ever wanted to talk about was the company and her usefulness in the overall picture of it. If she defied him the slightest bit over the slightest thing, he would threaten her inheritance, threaten to disown her and throw her out on the streets like he had done with Winter. Yet no matter what he said about the overall disappointment his eldest child turned out to be, Weiss never doubted the truth. That Winter was sick and tired of being pulled like a dog on a leash by their father, choosing to run away into the night instead of taking on the responsibility of the company their grandfather had given them.

While it was certainly a tempting and rather romantic idea, Weiss could never turn away from the Schnee Oil Company. It was her birthright, her destiny, and she would not give it up. Owning it meant she would have power, and not owning it would mean she was just another pawn.

She was nobody's pawn.

"Uh… is this a bad time?"

Weiss's head sprung up, meeting the confused eyes of the Faunus stable boy she had told Blake to summon to the sitting room earlier, unaware her father had been waiting for her. She felt the tips of her ears burn, clearing her throat into her hand as she regained her composure, rising to stand above her servant. Above in the social sense, being as it was he was a good head taller than her.

"I can come back at another time ma'am…" the boy began to say until Weiss cut him off.

"That won't be necessary, what I mean to say to you cannot be rescheduled Stable Boy." She noticed him wince slightly, still whining about being addressed as his position and not his name, making her spine crawl at his ever abysmal habits. She tsked and rolled her eyes, not looking forward to being in the proximity of this savage for what she had planned for him. Nonetheless, she swallowed her pride and continued. "Your manners are nothing but unsatisfactory, so much so that you do not greet your social superiors with respect nor civility, that kind of attitude in the workplace can earn you quite a few enemies, Stable Boy."

He scratched the back of his head absentmindedly, unaware of his even doing so, as what appeared to be a tell of confusion. "Forgive me ma'am, but what exactly are you asking of me?" he asked.

Weiss folded her hands behind her back, appearing to her servant as regal and high of confidence. "Until your behavior improves, you are not to leave my side. From this day forward you will complete your work in the stables and then tend to my needs, or simply whenever I call for you."

The stable boy did not seem to be absorbing the information he was given. "Pardon?"

The lady scoffed. "From this day until your last day at the Atlas House, you are to answer to, serve, and aid me and me alone, are we in an understanding?"

Her tone left no room for questioning or nonsense, giving the boy no other option than to obey her as he should have done in the beginning, and while Weiss looked forward to breaking his back, she was not entirely joyous to be put in this situation. But her father was looking for a husband, a proper patriarch to pass the Schnee Oil Company to when he chose to step down. If she wanted to earn her place as its proper head, she would have to prove herself a worthy candidate, female genes or no.

Correctly disciplining this ruffian stable boy in the ways of servicing the members of high society was the first step in achieving that.

She extended her hand to him, not as an equal, but as his lady. Her wrist bent downward as she held it delicately for him to properly seal their arrangement. "Are we in agreement, Stable Boy?" she asked again, staring into his very soul through her glacial blue orbs.

Glancing between her eyes and her hand, Sun found himself pushed into a very unsettling and bone-chilling corner. Needing this job more than he needed his own selfish pride, he bent the knee to his lady, taking her hand and pressing a kiss to it. His lips and her skin glazed with the bitterness of the single emotion they felt towards each other.

It was contempt.


	7. Chapter 6: The Challenge

**Chapter 6: The Challenge**

To say being Weiss's personal lapdog was difficult would be putting it in the nicest possible way, and the worst way… Sun was taught to not use such terms when referring to a lady. It had been three days since he received his job exchange from stable hand to Miss Schnee's valet, tending to her every need as she saw fit, and ever since he was cornered into the job, nothing he did was to her liking.

The sheets he folded had too many creases, the books he organized in her collection were not properly alphabetized, or the meal he brought her was arranged poorly forcing him to walk back and forth from her room to the kitchen until she was satisfied. Weiss was driving him insane, and the worst part was he could do nothing except bite his tongue and reply politely with a "Yes ma'am."

He was miserable.

No doubt the worst of it was when she wanted to read in the library. Sun had nothing against books, often enjoying an epic tale of marvel from time to time, but when Weiss read, she ordered him to stand by her side while she ran her eyes over every paragraph and stanza, leaving him to rot in his boredom. If he was lucky, he would sometimes catch glimpses of what she was reading to stave off the dull silence of the library, such as it was on this particular day.

Weiss was studying a collection of records from some business tycoon who was successful some decades ago, something far too flat and monotonous for Sun's liking, so he was left to stand and stare off into space with a look of apathy written across his features as he dreamed of something more interesting to occupy his time with.

He much preferred the company of the horses, inwardly singing to the heavens when Weiss declared she fancied a ride on Tundra, so he could have a few moments of beautiful stillness with his equestrian companions, grooming and preparing the haughty stallion for when the Lady arrived to collect him and disappear into the forest. Sun was a soul that was fueled by excitement and mischief, but the mundane nature of simply combing Molly's mane or picking muck out of Tundra's brand new shoes gave him a sense of serenity he had not received in the city.

It was slowly becoming his favorite quality of the Atlas House.

"Stable Boy!"

Of course there was also his _least_ favorite as well.

He winced as Miss Schnee's voice shrieked in his ears, pushing down his annoyance and putting on a face of calm equity she expected and demanded constantly. "Yes ma'am?"

Weiss slammed her book shut, having finished the documents and was now in the mood for a lighter piece of literature. "Fetch me _The House of Mirth_." It was never a question when she spoke to him, always an order delivered with iciness that could make polar bears shiver.

Sun fought the urge to roll his eyes as he took the finished book from her, setting it neatly on the desk pushed into the corner beside one of the library's grand windows. He remembered being ordered to help Klein arrange the tens of thousands of books in the proper order, recalling how he placed _The House of Mirth_ on a shelf just above Weiss's range of peripheral vision. Grabbing the ladder and climbing up, he reached for the book and noticed the worn and cracked leather of the spine, gold lettering faded and pages yellowed from age. Compared to the crisp and clean books throughout the rest of the library, seeing one so, uncouth, as Weiss would say, was somewhat odd.

Choosing not to question it and be reprimanded, Sun gave her a respectful bow as he handed her the book. Her delicate fingers grasped the spine before opening it with the telltale creak of a well-traveled novel. She did not thank him or even acknowledge him standing there, concerned only with the words inscribed on the pages in front of her. Rather than say anything, he pulled at the tightly buttoned collar of his dress shirt, not liking the pastel blue bow tie Klein gave him one bit.

For what felt like yet another eternity, Weiss continued her reading until she was about halfway through her book. "If you have finished you may go."

Sun blinked, not sure if he heard her right. Weiss did not dismiss him until the work day was done after supper, "Pardon, ma'am?"

The white haired lady placed her book in her lap and gave him a hardened glare. "If you have finished, _you may go_." She repeated.

Not seeing any bright side to questioning her further, the boy nodded once before exiting the library quicker than he probably could have gotten away with and closing the doors behind him, leaving Weiss to her privacy. She probably preferred reading alone anyway.

Sun did not waste a single second in loosening the dreaded neck-trap that was his, shoving the piece of fabric into his pants pocket as he rushed down the halls to the kitchen. It was about time for Yang to be preparing lunch for everyone, and he'd be damned if he didn't enjoy her culinary magic firsthand before having to deliver Weiss her meal once again. She had dismissed him for now, but that did not mean he was free to do as he wished for the rest of the day, only until she called for him again, most likely when she finished or grew bored with her book.

He could smell the jasmine rice before he even placed his hand against the kitchen doors, deeply inhaling it and feeling a pleasant shiver run down his spine. Pushing the doors open and being greeted by Yang's cheerful whistled tune as she placed a decorative oleander blossom atop the fire roasted vegetables and seasoned fish upon its bed of, as he suspected, jasmine rice.

"Please tell me you have enough left over for a lowly servant boy?" he joked, taking a seat at the preparation table.

The blond-haired woman let loose a guttural laugh, tossing Sun a packet of Weiss's favorite brand of earl grey. "Only if you make the lady's tea." Now within the safety of the servant's workplace, he groaned loudly, crossing the room to fill the kettle and place it on the stove.

"This is _not_ what I expected when I took this job," he sighed, going to the china cabinet to pick out a tea set that hopefully would not get him scolded. He settled on the ones with the sunflowers and evergreen vines curling around the porcelain. Even if sunflowers didn't grow with vines, the design was still a nice addition to the pale color scheme the rest of the house adopted from its patriarch.

While Sun had only glimpsed him at dinner during his first day there, he could tell Jacques Schnee was not a man who liked to rub elbows with his staff. From the rumors spoken about him by the Faunus in the neighborhood, anyone of Sun's heritage would steer clear of a position _working_ for him. However, Klein had assured him that as long as he kept his tail hidden, he wouldn't face any trouble. He was not fond of rules and regulations, but for the sake of his job he would endure.

He finished preparing the tea, using one teaspoon of leaves in the pot of hot water and removing them after exactly ninety seconds just as Weiss had instructed, or rather commanded. Yang placed the steaming plate of food on a silver cart similar to the one Ruby had been using to bring the family their dinners, possibly the only meal they ever ate together in the day.

Yang gave him a pat on the back once she noticed his grimace, thinking about the wave of complaints and corrections Weiss was sure to give him when he went back to the library. "Don't worry, best case scenario she'll get tired of you and send you back to the stables."

"What about worst case?" he asked, wrapping the silken noose around his neck and tying it off once more.

She looked like she was about to answer, but then quickly closed her mouth. They both knew what the worst case scenario was, that Weiss would fire him and he would have to move back to London with his tail between his legs, pun not intended. He came to this house looking to make something of himself, and if being ordered around like a dog by a woman who was too stuck up and entitled for anyone's taste is what it took, then he would not roll over.

"Wish me luck, I'll need it."

He pushed open the kitchen doors, his cart in front of him jostling slightly as he pushed it down the hall back towards the library.

* * *

She may be short of temper when faced with insubordination, but Weiss knew how to mask her emotions when faced with a powerful obstacle. Emotions only hindered one's strength, because as her grandfather once told her, navigating the business world is like a crossing of swords. Each step and movement had to be perfectly strategized and coordinated, one wrong placing of the feet, or position of stance, and the match would be over in a heartbeat.

Weiss had to plan and account for every one of her steps, she would not trip or drop her sword, she would win. The worst move to make is to expect a battle to be fair, and as it is in business, a battle is never fair.

She was pulled from her musings by a firm knock at the library doors, no doubt Klein or that Stable Boy come to deliver a message or perhaps her midday meal. A breath she hadn't realized she'd begun to hold released itself, secretly glad it was not her father come to berate her for this reason or that. Father never knocked, he simply barged into a room whenever he wished, as was his right as head of the house.

"Come in." she called, placing a periwinkle ribbon on her page and closing her book, inwardly scoffing at the thought of bending the page corner like a savage.

To her surprise, it was not the stable boy but in fact her trusted childhood butler. "My apologies Miss Schnee but I was hoping to catch you at a free moment before Mister Wukong brought you your lunch." He explained, hand placed over his chest in a respectful bow.

She smiled at him, one of the few people besides Blake she felt she could honestly trust. "Of course, I was just finishing some light reading." Placing her book on the table beside her, she crossed her palms in her lap, showing courtesy but not as harshly stiff as she would with her father.

Klein had served the Schnee family originally as Winter's nanny, since her birth had taken a toll on the family matriarch, and Jacques had been working to support Willow's medical costs so Klein had been hired to watch over the eldest daughter in their stead. Even after their mother returned to health, the sturdy butler had remained as the children's overseer for many years. More so than their own parents anyway, but she surely could not complain. Weiss's mother had passed when she was barely a toddler, and it was hardly the woman's fault, but she could fully blame her father's drastic change in character on her death.

Jacques had gone from a hard-working yet relatively caring father to a cold and indifferent brick wall, too inebriated in his grief and later too deeply invested in the company to give his family the time of day, if they had been so lucky. Weiss at times would angrily blame her father for driving Winter away with his overbearing requests of the three siblings. While they were not extremely close given their difference in age, it had hurt her dearly when she had awoken one morning to find her sister had disappeared into the night. She had not left a single trace she had left, only her fencing saber and a few books were missing. She was just… gone, not even leaving a note.

Weiss used to hope that Winter would write to her from wherever she was, but if she truly did not want to be found, then sending a letter would be too risky. She did not feel content with the decision her sister had made, but she did understand and had at least accepted that she may never return. Weiss found solace in the possibility that she was living a full and free life away from the privilege and burden of the Schnee name.

"Pardon my saying so madam, but I would most respectfully advise that you grant Mister Wukong some level of mercy, the boy has been simply too exhausted to do his stable chores I'm afraid." Klein explained, revealing a sliver of the pity he held for the soul who dared disrespect Weiss Schnee.

Glacial eyes blinked, her small smile pulling into a distasteful frown at the mention of the stable boy who irked her so. "He is my personal butler as of late, as punishment for his brash rudeness and as a way for Father to see I am capable of leadership."

Klein gave a hearty chuckle. "Leadership or ownership, Miss Schnee."

Weiss bristled slightly at his comment, a nearly unnoticeable embarrassed blush painting the tips of her ears. She wanted to tell how blatantly the stable boy had besmirched her authority and needed to be reminded of his place in the Atlas House, which was as a servant, a lower class Faunus worker who was beneath her in every social status. He was not her equal and he certainly did not have any right to speak to her so casually as if he was.

Not receiving a response, the stout servant sighed and bowed to her once again. "Apologies for my boldness my lady, I'll be leaving you to your reading now, please enjoy the meal Miss Xiao Long has prepared, she has been experimenting with jasmine I believe." He left the library with a smile beneath his bushy mustache that Weiss vaguely recalled pulling on as a young child as she would flowers in the garden.

Despite her initial displeasure of conversing about her stable boy, Weiss smiled in return. "Thank you Klein."

The door closed, and she was left alone with her books once more.

* * *

 **Hey guys! So sorry for the wait but I've been swamped with stuff to do. My school's homecoming was last week and it was my first outing with my partner, just the two of us so that was fun. Anyway I hope you like the newest chapter! And for those of you wondering, yes, Winter's supposed lover is and will be Qrow. Because... well I ship it more than the movie Battleship. Other than Teamlayer I genuinely cannot ship either of them with anyone else other than each other. But I will say that a lover was not a part of Winter's original plan to run away, but purely her own extrinsic motivation that pushed her to carve her own path, she just met Qrow along the way. I'll be telling tha tale in my next volume of this series! and yes it will be a prequel. Anyhow, enjoy the chapter, read and review, and Ciao for now!**


	8. Chapter 7: The Agreement

**Chapter 7: The Agreement**

After Sun had brought Weiss her lunch, the young woman had surprisingly been pleased with her food, dismissing him to his stable chores with a clipped goodbye. It did not leave room for questioning, so the Faunus simply nodded and exited the library to the yard where the stable welcomed him in all its dusty glory.

He got right down to it, shedding his crisp and clean butler's uniform for his old musty work-shirt and trousers, shoving his hands into his rough leather gloves and beginning his rounds on the horses. Tundra was always last, as seen he did not want to tempt the other animals with the chance to step on his feet or bite at his fingers, though the gloves protected him from that. However, today the thoroughbred was relatively calm, blowing air out his nose but otherwise acting well behaved.

The quiet enclosed space that the barn housed was what gave Sun his few minutes of relaxation despite his endless string of jobs to perform around the house, he took a deep breath, never noticing the musk of the horses or the humidity that came with the august heat. Yang and Ruby were hoping for rain soon, so that their trips into town to visit family would not be so aggravating. Though he came from the hot and damp cobblestone streets of London, Sun admitted to appreciating the autumn coolness and the delicate fog that formed over the pasture, even if he had yet to witness such a thing.

He briefly wondered how his brother was fairing back in the city, how much roomier their small one-room apartment was without him taking up half the oxygen. Neptune was somewhat of a ladies-man, making him prone to weasel his way into a woman's bed rather than have to deal with the terrors of Sun's snoring. Of course they weren't brothers by blood however, rather they had grown up in the same foster homes for wayward street-children, often pairing themselves together for things such as outdoor games or outrunning the boys who threw rocks at Sun and stepped on his tail when the adults weren't watching.

For so many years, Neptune had been the only human who was willing to stand up for him. Sure the foster parents they stayed with had rules against bullying but would more than once turn a blind eye if it was being done to a mangy Faunus hooligan. Even if they were only seven years old and starving because the bullies took his food. Things had changed over the years for the better, and Sun was grateful he had come to know humans like Yang and Ruby, who couldn't care less if he was Faunus or human, instead opting to judge his character rather than what hung from his tailbone.

The clearing of a throat sounded behind him, making Sun nearly jump out of his skin. Weiss was standing behind him with her riding helmet tucked beneath her arm, pulling her gloves over each individual finger with her usual cold stare on her face.

"Is Tundra ready for my afternoon ride?" she asked, her voice devoid of its dosage of impatience and disdain, prompting him to raise an eyebrow. The lady rarely asked anything of him, only commanded, and never addressed him as anything other than _Stable Boy._ Why the sudden if not almost unnoticeable change?

"Yes ma'am, just need to saddle him and he's all yours." He gave Tundra's nose a pat before crossing to the wooden door of the saddle room. He briefly heard Weiss give a haughty huff in reply, and if he strained his hearing enough he could pinpoint exactly when she began tapping her foot against the concrete, eager to get on with her ride so that she may enjoy her only free time in the day in peace.

Sun had saddled Tundra with little to no issue, checking over the tightness of his bridle and girth so that Weiss would not be stomping back into the stables to give him an earful about how she fell because the strap was loose. He handed her the reins and she threw them over the horse's head, turning back to him with an expectant look on her face.

After a few moments of confused silence, he gave a shrug and she scoffed, holding out her hand to him. He stared at it, the growing pause creating an awkwardness that Sun did not enjoy. As seen obeying earned him less of a scolding, the Faunus boy took her hand in his and barely brushed his lips against the fabric of her glove before she ripped her hand away as if she had been burned.

"What in god's name are you doing?!" she hissed, her gaze threatening to end his life by hypothermia before he could blink.

He quickly took a step back, holding up his hands in defense. "I'm sorry, I just thought…" he scrambled for an explanation, honestly thinking that a show of respect via kiss to the knuckle was appropriate and what she wanted.

Weiss narrowed her eyes and clenched her teeth. "I need a leg up on my horse, you _dolt_!" she angrily gestured to Tundra, the stallion being too tall for her to simply lodge her foot in the stirrup and swing her weight over.

Sun felt his tail curl slightly in his trousers out of embarrassment. "Oh…" he muttered, scratching the back of his mess of blond hair. He gave her an apologetic smile, only to be met with another glare.

He coughed into his fist, kneeling down and knotting his fingers together to form a basket for her to place her foot so he could lift her up onto Tundra. Weiss dramatically rolled her eyes and stepped her polished black riding boot into his grip, the Faunus successfully lifting her weight as she swung her leg over her saddle and settled into her stirrups.

She adjusted her reigns in her grip before looking down at Sun with a scowl to rival the coldest day in the arctic. "Next time I won't be so forgiving, Stable Boy." She spat before spurring her horse and riding out of the stables into the forest.

The golden-haired boy inwardly cursed himself, swearing to be more careful, as she said; next time would not be so easily forgotten.

Even if he failed to notice the light dust of pink along Weiss's cheeks when he had leaned down to press his lips against her hand.

* * *

Weiss had known since she was a child that she had a rather sub-zero temper, usually shown when another child her age attempted to bully her, or if Whitley went in her room without permission. But she had never lost her composure over something as trivial as a servant kissing her hand, even if in a different circumstance it would have been perfectly appropriate.

She did not understand why she felt such discomfort in knowing that the boy had only tried to do so because he assumed she was demanding respect from him, that she wanted to establish her hierarchy over him as she oh so loved to do. That may not have been that case, yet he still appeared so accepting of submitting to her, so easily falling to his knees as he pressed his calloused mouth onto her ivory riding glove. Weiss swore she could feel the spot he kissed itching beneath the fabric, as if the gloves weren't there and he had brushed his lips against her soft skin.

Weiss shook her head, banishing those thoughts as if they were nothing short of blasphemous. She found distress in such a thing because it had become easy for the stable boy to submit to her, but she did not want him to just blindly do as she said and in doing so commit the opposite of what she wanted. She wanted him to do exactly as she wanted before she even had to speak. So far, he had done an abysmally lousy job.

She wanted to crush any sliver of objection he had, create the perfect servant, so that father could finally see her potential as a powerful leader. One who was not afraid to break one's spirit in order to complete an objective.

However, she thought back to what Klein had told her in the library; about the difference between leadership and ownership and whether or not the stable boy deserved an ounce of leniency for his hard work towards pleasing her. Perhaps she was being harsher towards the boy as petty revenge for casually reprimanding her for something as simple as being rude. It was immature and if Jacques were to ever know her true intentions in breaking the boy, she could kiss his minimal amount of respect goodbye.

Klein was right; a leader who led by oppression alone tends to fail, but one who can lead with an iron fist yet still show mutual respect and small kindnesses, can be trusted and relied upon by many. If the stable boy was given the mercy of a break now and again, or a job simple enough to be recreational, then he would have more trust in her. In time, maybe the contempt between them would fade into the calm and mundane relationship between a servant and lady.

Weiss smiled at the addition to her master plan, spurring Tundra into a trot as she did so, taking a deep inhale of the woodsy air as she bounced atop her steed. The air was changing, instead of scorching heat beating down between each branch, a breeze fluttered through the trees cooling the dampness that had settled on the back of her neck. Her hair had been pulled into an elegant side-tail, but the thick wool of her riding coat tended to weigh her small body down when the heat bared its fangs.

A twig snapped behind her, and she roughly pulled Tundra to a halt, the stallion's ears flicking back and forth indicating that he heard the same sound she did. Her head whipped around to fix her gaze on the cluster of trees resting behind her, seemingly as normal as could be with nothing to hide in them save for the birds and insects that continued to chirp and chide respectively.

Only, they weren't. The birds in the branches above had fallen silent, and the buzzing of the evening crickets were quiet as a mouse. The forest had become eerily quiet, and Weiss did not like it one bit.

Another crack of breaking twigs sounded, only this time it was closer, and was accompanied by the rustling of leaves that had been blown down. Her heart began to pump with anxiety, as she felt she were being watched, and her hands tightened on her steed's reins at the fact that whatever was out there knew where she was, yet she had no idea where they were.

Tundra threw his head up, rapidly blowing hot air from his nostrils, the sound of beating footprints on the ground and a faint growl reverberating from the underbrush. Doing what all animals under great stress would do, the stallion whinnied loudly and began to anxiously stomp his feet. Weiss pulled back her reins in an attempt to calm her animal, but her own fear combined with the wild beasts now obviously stalking them did little to calm the panicked horse.

"Whoa boy, steady, whoa!" Tundra was too spooked to listen to her commands, becoming more agitated the closer the wild dogs drew in. they stepped out of the brush, mangy things with matted fur and puss yellow eyes wild with bloodlust as their lips were pulled back in snarling growls. Weiss sneered back at them, pulling her reins tighter in a fail swoop to regain control of Tundra.

Overwhelmed by his master's commands and the fear of being eaten by the predators before them, the thoroughbred lashed his head back and forth, jostling Weiss in the saddle before he reared up with a violent push against the ground. His rider in the confusion accidently dropped her reins, falling forward into Tundra's strong neck as the heels of her boots barely touched against his flanks. In the fight or flight situation, the horse took off into the forest at full gallop, leaving the marked trail in the dust.

Weiss threw her arms around his neck, having lost control of the reins as well as one of her stirrups and clinging helplessly to her terrified horse while he fled the wild dogs. They had given chase for a while, but what Tundra lacked in speed he more than made up for in stamina. Amazingly able to outrun them after ten minutes of blindly sprinting through the forest. Unfortunately, by the time he slowed enough for Weiss to lift her head she had no idea where they were. She reached her foot out to try to place it back in the stirrup, but her constant unstable bouncing made it especially difficult.

She managed to toe herself in halfway when Tundra jumped over a fallen log; Weiss lost her hold on him entirely and gracelessly fell to the ground with a painful thud. Her horse paid her no mind and continued running off into the forest, leaving his master behind in the dirt. Not wanting to lose her only way home, she quickly pushed herself up, cupping her hands over her mouth.

"Tundra, come back!" she called, only to be met with silence.

Though the air was still warm, Weiss wrapped her arms around herself, disturbed by her unfamiliar surroundings. She looked around, intensely searching for any landmark or trail post, some form of indicator to let her know where she was in the miles of woods surrounding the Schnee mansion, but all she could see were trees. The sun had disappeared, eclipsed by the thick foliage above.

Without Tundra, she had no way to guide herself back home, and night was fast approaching.

She shivered, realizing that she was completely and utterly lost.

* * *

Sun was sanding down Molly's hooves when he heard it, the high-pitched neigh of one of the horses. He didn't remember turning any of them out yet, and not many of the haughty steeds were very chatty. He gave the mare's neck a pat as he walked out of the barn to try to pinpoint where the whinny had come from.

His eyes widened when he saw Tundra emerge from the tree line, galloping wildly as if the devil were on his tail. Sun rushed out into the paddock, throwing his arms up to stop the stallion from going any further. "Whoa boy!" he said as Tundra reared up and kicked his legs until the Faunus boy grabbed onto his loose reins, pulling the horse back down and soothing his by rubbing his neck. "Easy, you're alright…" he spoke softly, affectively calming the frightened animal.

It then came to his attention that Tundra's saddle was missing its rider, dread pooled in his stomach when he saw that the saddle before him was empty.

"Where's Weiss?"

* * *

 **Daaaaaaaamn things are getting interesting? No really, are they? I wasn't sure on whether or not to write this scene in yet, but I figured you guys were getting bored with character introductions and internalized problems, time for the external ones right?! But don't worry, no one is getting mauled by wild dogs in here, just some mild suspense at the beginning to keep you guys invested, cause shit is gonna get good after this I promise you! Anyway, fav and review and all that fun stuff, Ciao!**


	9. Chapter 8: The Forest

**Chapter 8: The Forest**

She did not know how long she had been walking. Riding boots were not build for covering much ground, and her feet ached the longer she trekked through the forest. Weiss had removed her gloves and tucked them into her pants pocket, rubbing her palms together before sandwiching them underneath her arms. Though it was august, the evenings tended to get rather brisk, a chill settling around her body the further she walked.

The sun had long since vanished behind the trees, and the closer it got to night, the more anxious Weiss was to get home. She did not want to be caught in complete darkness in a forest now confirmed to house wild dogs.

Father would be furious when she returned, undoubtedly she had missed supper by now, and Jacques was not a forgiving man when one of his children was missing from his table. Though a part of her hoped he would be concerned by her absence, as she had always been present at the dinner table. She had never missed supper, not since she was nine just after Winter had left. She refused to leave her bedroom until her sister came home, and in no mood for such foolishness, her father had stormed into the room and dragged her to the table himself. Her tears fell silently as she ate her food, and she had never missed dinner again.

Dinner sounded positively heavenly at the moment, as her stomach growled with the ferocity of those dogs she had encountered. She pressed a hand against her stomach, hoping to quiet the impatient groans that were making her desperation all the more prominent.

Something suddenly called out through the forest; a voice that stood out from the chirping crickets and scurrying woodland animals, barely audible but Weiss knew her own name when she heard it. "Miss Weiss!" they called.

Spurred by new energy, she picked up her pace and hurried in the direction the voice came from, "Hello? Please, I'm here!" she yelled back, hoping she had been loud enough for them to hear.

To her joy, they had, as the sound of thundering hooves pounded through the earth and the silhouette of her beloved Tundra emerged from the trees, the stable boy firmly planted on his back. Sun wore no helmet, gloves, or even proper riding boots, but he commanded the thoroughbred as though he had been riding all his life. Confident and self-assured as he jerked Tundra to a stop beside her, hopping down from the saddle covered in more dirt and grime than when Weiss saw him last.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" he asked, distracted enough to have the indecency to have left his Faunus tail uncovered, the furry appendage bobbing slightly with his breaths. Although, Weiss could not find the energy to be offended, only muddled by his initial concern for her, having expected her cruelty to have him scoffing good riddance at her disappearance.

She shook her head, "Yes, how did you manage to find me?"

The boy gave Tundra a hearty pat. "He lead me right to you, he's quite the horse, ma'am." The stallion blew air from his nose and pushed his head against Sun's side, actually causing a smile to appear on Weiss's lips.

Sun smiled in return, surprised to know that the Lady actually _could_ smile without mockery or wickedness behind it. "Hey, the Ice Queen can smile after all," he said, not even understanding the weight of his words until her gentle upturned lips morphed into an icy scowl.

"What, pray tell, is that supposed to mean _Stable boy?"_

Realizing the error of his statement, Sun scrambled for an apology. "I'm sorry ma'am, I just thought…"

Weiss took a step towards him, the temperature dropping substantially as her temper worsened. "I've overlooked your rude and brash behavior for quite some time Mister Wukong, but if you ever refer to me as anything other than _Ma'am,_ or _My Lady_ again and you will wish you stayed in your city hovel." Sun gulped, an embarrassed blush spreading across his nose, feeling the size of an ant under the Lady's harsh glare despite being a full head taller than her.

Frozen in fear of her lashing out in a far worse manner, he feverishly nodded with a weak and mouse-like "Yes ma'am."

"Good."

Turning her back to him, Weiss tugged Tundra forward and the group continued onward, only now an uncomfortable silence had formed between them. Sun felt a sense of guilt at poking the sleeping bear that was the Lady's temper; she had been thrown from her horse and left to wander the woods alone for hours without defense of any kind, she was clearly not to be tested by his improper teasing.

He sighed, running a hand through his dusty mess of blond hair before following at least a few feet behind Weiss, careful not to upset her further. It wasn't as if he meant to keep upsetting her, Sun just had a terrible case of foot-in-mouth syndrome, and tended to speak before thinking. He did not want for their relationship to strictly be master-and-servant, if he planned on keeping this job, but he also didn't want to keep pushing her buttons to the point where she felt she had to punish him. Or worse, fire him.

At the very least, he wanted them to be friends.

Pushing his common sense to the back of his mind, Sun built up his courage and took two quick steps to stand at Weiss's side. She gave him a pointed look, "You clearly don't possess a sense of long-term memory, do I need to remind you of our place again?"

Sun smirked despite her glare, if he wanted to be her friend, then he couldn't fool himself or Weiss. He had to be himself, and if she couldn't accept him, then he was content in being the stable boy.

"Not at all, and I think you mean short-term memory, since our conversation happened just a moment ago." The Lady made a noise of disbelief, and the Faunus boy could not help the smile that grew on his face at the sight of the touches of pink blooming in her cheeks.

"You're either very bold or very stupid," she grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. "To keep addressing me with such informality."

It wasn't _entirely_ berating on her part, Sun considered that a small victory. "I like to call it, as you nobles say, banter between acquaintances?"

Weiss laughed mockingly, "You've given yourself a very presumptuous title for a servant!"

Though she tried to bruise his ego, Sun only grinned at the fact that he had gotten the fabled Ice Queen to laugh, and not just laugh, but also laugh at something he had said. They were talking without anger, and laughing without malice, as friends did. "Well, we've been in each other's company for a few weeks now, so you can't blame me for assuming."

"Perhaps not, but you definitely have a tall mountain to climb to call yourself an acquaintance."

"I'll be sure to pack my Long-Johns."

She laughed again, only this time it wasn't to mock him, it was genuine and had the undertones of a developing snort. The two of them continued walking in a comfortable silence, orchestrated only by the chatty crickets of dusk. Weiss was becoming more and more nervous the later it became, her father would no doubt be furious when she returned home. For not only missing supper, but no doubt Whitley would sink his claw in by spreading implications about what exactly took her so long to find her way back, and with the _Stable Boy_ no less.

Just the thought of such things made her blush at the humiliation such an accusation would cause. Her credibility with Jacques would be ruined, and it stood on thin enough ice already, she did not need any more crushing weight.

"It's getting late, hopefully Yang will have some leftovers for us?" The boy's words pulled her from her negative thoughts, the idea of Miss Xiao Long's exquisite cooking bringing a smile to her face.

"She is quite talented isn't she?" Though her father's presence at the dinner table often muted her satisfaction with the explosion of exotic and alluring flavors Yang provided in every meal. She had not yet made the same dish twice, and each one always sent spikes of happiness through Weiss that only a dish made with love could provide.

Sun nodded, staring off into space with a dreamy look on his face. "You should definitely try her Firecracker Curry Bread; it's like eating a cloud!"

Weiss cocked her head slightly, having never heard of such a dish. Curry had become exceedingly popular with the upper class lately, trade with India and China were to thank for that. The spices and cuisine inspiring elites across the country to hire their own chefs native to their newest trade partners. Lie Ren had spoken fondly of his family's curry recipe, though he had probably had it often enough to not think of it as anything special. Jacques however did not particularly like any form of Indian cooking; he found their flavors too spicy and he found disdain in the fact that the food of the upper and lower class did not much differ. What a man ate determined the length of his wealth; if you can afford to eat like a king then you eat like a king. There was no middle ground.

"I'm afraid curry is not my favorite, but perhaps one day I could be persuaded." Her curiosity mixed with her growing appetite, momentarily forgetting her father's prohibitions.

Sun smiled, "Lucky for you I'm quite convincing,"

"Lucky indeed." She smirked, her tone taking on a teasing air that made Sun's cheeks take on a heat he was not familiar with.

Thankfully, the trees around them began to thin, and the faint silhouette of the Atlas House began to emerge from the forest. The lights still glowing softly against the darkening sky, Weiss sighed in relief, nervous about her father yet still glad to be home after such a stressful afternoon. Even if Sun's company had made it slightly more bearable, but she would never admit that to him.

She felt a knot form in her stomach as she mentally prepared herself for the verbal revile she would no doubt receive in the next few minutes. Weiss drew in a deep breath, squaring her shoulders and adjusting her posture, making sure there was no stray dirt on her face or in her hair. God knew it already smudged itself along her expensive riding coat and pants.

"Let's be on with it, my father is most likely already annoyed at my absence from supper." Sun cocked his head in confusion, staring after her as Weiss marched towards the servants' entrance to the manor with her head held high and an obvious stick up her spine.

She had been so relaxed and daresay carefree when it was only the two of them walking in the forest, yet when the grand mansion came into view, the stiff and icy Lady Sun was oh so familiar with returned. He turned to glance at Tundra, who had been walking silently as the boy guided him by the reins, with a questioning look.

The horse only blew air from his nose and bobbed his head. "Well you're no help," Sun tugged the reins forward to lead the haughty horse back to the stables, not looking forward to combing the numerous burs out of his mane.

He unbridled the stallion and led him by a line to his stall, having laid down fresh hay before he left. Letting out the biggest sigh of relief in his young life, Sun took a moment to enjoy the silence, looking around for Weiss but finding she had already disappeared into the manor, no doubt to clean up after such an adventure. He pulled off his gloves using his teeth, placing them on the table nestled in the corner of the tack room before running a hand through his sunny locks and making the walk to the kitchen's back door. Maybe Yang's leftovers were still out; maybe she had left a bowl out for him. Saliva collected beneath his tongue just thinking about what she had prepared this evening.

Sun ended up jogging to the kitchen, stomach growling all the way.

* * *

Weiss forced herself to remain silent as her cheek burned from her father's enraged backhand; she bit her tongue to stifle the cry that bubbled in her throat from the ring on his left hand, the ring that had no doubt left a bruise on her face.

"Do you have _any_ idea of the trouble you have caused me tonight? _Do you?!_ " he demanded, not really expecting an answer, but raising his voice to the point of his daughter flinching at the growing volume.

She genuinely did not believe missing such a trivial and nearly worthless family gathering to be so important, much less insulting. They had not been a real family since Winter left, and completely silent dinners would not change that. Yet, despite herself, Weiss meekly replied,

"I'm sorry father; I was thrown from my horse and…"

"I am not interested in your flimsy excuses young lady! Are you aware, that tonight you were supposed to be present for the Winchesters and their son? I had to send them away disappointed, another suitor wasted!"

Weiss winced as though his hand had struck her again; of course, the Winchester family was to dine with them tonight, how could she have forgotten? Shame churned in her stomach at having been so irresponsible, such an act of carelessness towards a guest and potential husband had surely done damage to the Schnee name. If not now, then soon.

Jacques sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose and turning so that his back was to his daughter. "I don't feel the need to remind you that you are almost eighteen Weiss, if you want to inherit the Schnee Oil Company like your grandfather has intended, you will take a husband and bare an heir, don't forget that." He spat.

The Lady stared down at her slippers; crisp and clean and a change from her leather riding boots. She could feel blisters peeling at the back of her heels from walking in them for so long. It was welcome compared to the pain of the sheer disappointment in her father's voice. "I know, father."

"Then start acting like it."

* * *

Sun gave his full stomach an appreciative pat; true to his suspicion Yang had left a plate of food for him, still steaming by the time he walked into the kitchen. She had been directed by Klein to cook something more for the Master of the house's tastes, since some guests were apparently there for dinner. He visibly winced when the blond woman told him that, Weiss would be in twice as much trouble now because of him being an idiot.

He hesitantly made his way to the parlor, where shouting could be heard on the other side of the ivory doors. Multiple times in the hallway he debated whether taking the blame was really worth it, the Schnee patriarch would probably be more forgiving towards his daughter than some novice servant who didn't even know how to properly tie his own tie. Not to mention bringing this on himself would put him in a suspicious light with the Master, and Sun did not want for him to figure out that he was a Faunus. It would ensure his unemployment faster than he could blink.

Inhaling as much air as his lungs could hold, Sun abandoned his conscious and went with his gut feeling. Weiss was in trouble and it was his fault, he had to take responsibility, like a man.

He knocked on the door, and the shouting fell silent.

Every ounce of courage he had a moment ago vanished in an instant, the eerie silence almost deafening. "Enter," the voice of the Master said from within the room. Swallowing his fear, Sun opened the parlor door with his head bowed.

"Pardon my interruption, Sir." He apologized, hoping beyond hope that this had not already condemned him to Jacques Schnee's bad side.

But the pale haired man only sighed in annoyance, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "Well, get on with it, why have you come boy?"

Well, no going back now, was there? Sun puffed his chest out slightly and bowed once more, "Forgive me sir, but I don't think you should be so hard on Weiss."

The girl in question looked absolutely mortified; to be honest he was questioning his intelligence as well, but he knew that what he was doing was the right thing. Sun would not back down, even if he was, ironically, backing down.

Jacques did not look amused, he had a barely contained rage pulsing beneath his icy resolve. "Excuse me?" he growled.

Sun gulped, "Tundra's saddle was not properly tightened, Lady Weiss was thrown from his back and late for supper because I was careless, please punish me instead." he could feel nails of frost dragging themselves down his spine, as well as a burning sweat dripping beneath his shirt, waiting for Jacques to reply.

Instead, Weiss' father only sighed, turning to his quiet and seemingly spineless youngest daughter. "Is this true?" she only managed a nod, not wanting a repeat of what happened before Sun had presented himself. "Very well, Mr. Wukong, your pay will be revoked for the rest of the month, as punishment for endangering my daughter, and making a fool out of me… are we clear?"

"Yes sir, forgive me sir."

With a curt nod, Jacques left the parlor, not bothering to spare Weiss a glance before he was gone. She let out a breath she had gotten used to holding when her father became angry, feeling pinpricks along her skin like those you feel when you step into the sunlight after being cooped up in the cold.

Sun gave her a kind smile, and though she felt her heart swell at his sacrifice for her, she could only give him the slightest upward tilt of her lips before retreating back to her room.

"You truly are audacious, and perhaps a bit stupid." She told him, almost giggling at the droop in his expression. "But perhaps, your acquaintanceship won't be completely unbearable."

Without another word she left, and Sun was left to contemplate her words.

Well, at least it was a start.

* * *

 **Hi guys! I'm REALLY sorry I haven't been updating lately, school and all that, but my next Seven Deadly Sins chapter is almost done and this story is officially out of hiatus! So please enjoy and don't give up on me! Ciao!**


	10. Chapter 9: The Acquaintanceship

**Chapter 9: The Acquaintanceship**

Sunlight peeked through the sheer satin curtains of Weiss's bedroom that morning, tickling her skin with warmth as she rose from her dreamless sleep. Her cheek still throbbed from her father's slap, and when she raised a hand to touch it she winced at the slight swelling that still remained. Instead of Klein or the stable boy bringing her breakfast, she had asked Blake instead, so as not to raise questions about her bruise or what had transpired the night previous.

Blake's golden eyes had a certain way of looking right through her, knowing her deepest kept secrets even if she were keeping completely silent. The feline Faunus held true to this as she carefully applied makeup to Weiss's porcelain complexion; the girl did not really care for such useless things like makeup, but she did not want other servants looking upon her with pity. The poor Schnee girl whose father hit her, the last time she had forgone makeup over the remnants of Jacques anger the pitying looks had stung almost worse than his slap.

She was not to be pitied, she had more dignity than that. No, she would cover the wound and pretend it was nonexistent until it faded away in wait for the next. Only there would not be a next, Weiss would correct her mistake, and not allow another to be made. As Blake finished her delicate brushing of color onto the lady's cheeks, her silence broke from the weight of her curiosity.

"What was it this time, late for dinner again?"

Weiss scoffed, "More like absent entirely, and the Winchesters were there too."

Blake did not try hard to hide the snicker choking through her monotone disposition. "I can't say you missed anything remotely exciting, the young lord's ego grows larger every day."

"That's not surprising, although it was rumored he was watching one of the Faunus servants at one of father's parties, do you suppose there is any truth in that?" it was not a topic she was interested in, but it directed the conversation away from the elephant in the room.

The maid only shrugged as she picked up the silver hairbrush from Weiss' vanity and began to run it through her silky locks. "I've heard too many versions to tell you the truth; that she is his victim, that she is his lover, we've spoken a few times during parties but I haven't seen Velvet recently so I do not know."

The pale lady stared off into space, letting the subject die before too much gossip could rear its ugly head. Weiss did not care so much for the young Winchester lord; he was brash and cared more for the wilds of hunting and exploration than he did for the company of a potential bride. He was not a good match if his mind was always somewhere other than his wife, Faunus lover or no, Weiss would not be leaning towards him when she inevitably chose her husband.

Even still, to reject him without proper face-to-face evaluation, did not give her opinion much credit. If she had been present at supper then she could have let the engagement die quickly, now it had to be drawn out slowly and painfully for both parties.

Thoughts which brought her back to why she had been absent; she'd been thrown from her horse during her afternoon ride and had taken the rest of the day to find her way home, only with the help of Sun Wukong though, the stable boy.

"Blake, can I ask you something?"

Yellow eyes glanced up from her work, meeting icy blue in the mirror before them. "You're my lady, you can do as you wish, ask away."

Weiss sighed, watching her fingers as they interlocked with each other in deep thought. "What do you think of Mr. Wukong?" Blake only looked at her, halting in her brushing.

While yesterday had done much to alert her of the consequences her father could distribute without hesitation, it had also given her much to think about in regards to Sun. He had made her smile in the forest when she had been angry and irritated, not to mention afraid of what punishment she would face, but he had also taken that punishment for her. He had interrupted her father when he was shouting at her, and had taken the blame for a mistake that had been hers. Her saddle was not loose, and he had not been at fault, so why would he do such a thing when she had been nothing but spiteful towards him.

He had been so kind, she had to know why.

Blake did not make any outward tells, only returning to her soothing motions of bringing the bristles through Weiss' hair. "I think he is a good worker, and has done his best to fulfill your wishes." She set the brush down and began to weave the snowy strands into her usual up-do of her off-center ponytail fastened with a silver comb her grandfather had given her on her eleventh birthday. "We haven't really sat down and conversed, but he gives the impression of someone who gives great effort to what is important."

"Do you think I've been too hard on him lately?"

"Do you want me to answer honestly, or to tell you what you want to hear?"

Their eyes met in the mirror again, only this time they held each other's gaze, almost daring one to look away first and prove the other right. Weiss sighed, "I know I've been cruel to him, and I can't tell you it is anything other than pettiness that forced him to endure my company, he must think so bitterly of me."

"On the contrary, from what I've heard from the kitchen, he thinks highly of you, and only wishes to do you well so he can remain in work here." Blake's finger expertly wove through her hair, fastening the comb into place before wiping her hands on her fresh apron. "I hear he has a human foster-brother living in the city, and admires Miss Xiao Long's cooking as well as your thoroughbred Tundra, though he has called him haughty and high-strung."

Such words in that order made her lips turn upwards in a smile, her bruise stinging slightly from any form of laughter or facial movement, but for a moment she had forgotten it was even there. "He certainly speaks his mind."

Blake nodded. "So it would seem, my lady."

Seeing now that she had finished, Weiss dismissed Blake and the feline girl left with a curtsy and one final piece of advice. "Perhaps showing a form of thanks for his sacrifices yesterday would improve your relationship, talk to him, like a real person would." Weiss' façade of the perfect and pristine lady of the Atlas House was one that very few staff were aware of. In fact, only Klein and Blake had ever seen her true colors. They were the only ones she could confidently call her friends, as few as there were in a sea of false promises and superfluous shows of wealth in a world surrounded by poverty.

Jacques had revoked Sun's pay for the remainder of the month, such an act of albeit imbecilic courage on his part, deserved some form of thanks. For, if not for him, Weiss would have had to sustain more than just a bruise from her father's ring, such injuries that would need more than powder to conceal.

"Thank you Blake, you may go."

The maid nodded and left the bedroom with a quiet click of the door, leaving Weiss to think alone.

* * *

Sun's snores bounced off the walls of his room, the light having filled the small space and warming up his bed, plunging him into an even deeper more comforting sleep. The extra hours were a blessing, as he had turned in later than normal due to having to clean and scrub Tundra _twice_ before returning the haughty stallion to his stall and unceremoniously flopping into his bed.

He blinked slowly as the brightness of his namesake made it difficult to stay asleep, accepting that slumber would not return and it was time to begin the day. It took a moment to settle into the fact that for the first time in weeks he had overslept, and though he would be missing his pay for the rest of the month, that was no reason to place him even farther from the Master's good graces. Making peace with his god, Sun threw back his blanket and began scrambling for his clothing, knowing his routine of grooming and tacking the horses before transferring to serving Miss Schnee until she dismissed him at supper, then he got to groom and tack the horses all over again. It was a dull affair and often the stretching silence or bitter exchanges of words with Weiss were the most exciting part of his day.

Clicking his belt into place, he grabbed his boots and yanked them onto his feet as he hopped on one foot towards the stable, tripping onto his chest only once before he made it there completely dressed. Sun grabbed his tack box and almost moved to grab Molly when he stopped himself, having forgotten to tuck in his tail and holding the box in its simian grasp. He set it down and curled his tail, wincing in discomfort as he tucked it into his trousers once more.

"You know that's not necessary," a voice suddenly spoke.

Though he would deny it, Sun let out a very non-masculine squeak in surprise, having not heard a trace of Weiss' footsteps as she approached, even with his Faunus hearing. The lady only arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow, for once not dressed in her riding gear, but a simple yet lavish dress. The bodice was an ivory color while the skirt faded into an opalescent shade of blue, the chiffon sleeves adorned with small almost unnoticeable gems with caught the light revealing their presence. It was a gorgeous if not expensive dress that most certainly was not expected in a stable.

"My lady, sorry, I did not hear you come in." he stuttered, fidgeting in place and for once feeling self-conscious about the dirt underneath his fingernails.

Weiss took a step towards him, the fabric of her dress moving like water in a still pond. "I suppose you wouldn't, what with your haste to improperly dress yourself." She gestured to his attire. Sun looked down and felt his cheeks burn; he had buttoned his shirt wrong and his trousers remained unbuttoned entirely. He quickly turned away from Weiss in an attempt to fix it, turning back when he was somewhat presentable. She gave a firm nod and continued, "Mr. Wukong," she began.

"You can call me Sun, if you want," he interrupted without thinking, the snowy-haired heiress blinked in slight bewilderment, and for a moment he thought she would yell at him again or glare, but she only cleared her throat and began again.

"Sun, I wanted to personally thank you for what you did for me last night, with my father,"

The way she looked away when speaking of the Master put an unfamiliar taste on his tongue. It was bitter and stung as if he had eaten something especially spicy. "It was no trouble ma'am, but… why was he so angry with you?"

She made a face that showed only disdain but hid all else from his view, "That is not your concern," Weiss gestured with her hand, "Walk with me," not waiting for him to reply, she began walking away from the stable and towards the manor grounds, the grass and soft dirt being replaced with hard cobblestone safe for a lady of the aristocracy to walk upon.

As much as Weiss stood out in her lavish clothing against the untouched nature of the pasture, Sun stood out just as hard in his mussed shirt and trousers, muddy boots, and grimy hands beside the luxurious and clean mansion.

"I'm sure you're aware of the duties a lady of my age and stature is expected of, so you must know that as the eldest child of the house and a lady I must one day not only take charge of the Schnee Oil company, but also adopt a husband and produce and heir." She explained. Sun was familiar with the workings of the wealthy, but had never really taken interest in the way they lived their lives compared to the way he lived his. Girls he knew in the city were more concerned with making enough money to put food on the table, they couldn't care less about finding a husband even if he literally fell into their lap.

He also supposed that if you did not have to worry about things such as money, you had to worry about other things, like how to keep it. Marrying another rich member of society ensured wealth to last lifetimes, he figured. "I never really thought of it like that, most people I know don't get married until much older."

Weiss sighed, "Better to send me off while I'm still young, I recon."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short ma'am, I know a few gentlemen whose eyes would fall out of their head at the thought of being your suitor."

Though the statement was bold, and may have overstepped a boundary, Weiss still smiled beneath her bangs. The makeup that adorned her porcelain features seemed so out of place; why would someone so physically perfect looking need makeup at all? "And what about you?" she asked, "I hear the city is full of exotic ladies who would appreciate a hard working husband, has anyone caught you eye?"

Sun smirked, "Now who's being too bold?" he teased.

Her chest bounced slightly as she chuckled, but it soon faded into a frown. "Last night, I was required to attend a dinner with the Winchester family, their son is a possible suitor that I've no doubt offended with my absence, so now my father must pick up the pieces in order to repair the damage I've done."

The Faunus winced, guilt pooling in his stomach at the memory of him getting her in trouble. "My apologies…"

She cut him off before he could utter another word. "I have no intention of punishing you further, my father has done enough to assure any mistakes on either of our parts will not happen again, but that still leaves the issue of your pay."

Icy azure met sky blue, and for once Sun did not feel as though he would freeze under her powerful gaze. "You defended me from my father's chastising, even though you had no reason to, you did exactly as I asked of you and served your lady, so as a reward you will receive a raise in your current pay beginning now and ending with this month."

It took Sun a matter of three seconds to understand the gift she was giving him; Jacques had revoked his pay for negligence, and Weiss was giving it back for sticking up for her and taking the metaphorical bullet. He was truly at a loss for words, because sure, he knew Weiss had it in her to be nice, even compassionate as shown by her not ripping his tail off for the smallest faults any longer, but this display of generosity from her had him completely tongue-tied.

"Well?" she huffed, looking away from him as not to expose the blush dusting her cheeks. "Aren't you going to say something?"

Sun stuttered incoherently, mentally scrambling for something, anything, to say as a way to covey his gratitude. "I-I don't know what to say…" he managed. "I mean, thank you and everything, but I feel like I don't deserve this," now he was just putting his foot in his mouth, babbling on as to fill the hole left by the awkward silence.

Weiss smiled with closed eyes, "Nonsense, you did something for me, so now I've done something for you." She explained, opening her eyes to look into his once more. "Though if you're feeling that grateful, I suppose you can repay me by… continuing to be my personal hand? Just until a fiancé is secured for me, after that I'm afraid any form of male company would be prohibited."

That bitter taste had returned to Sun's tongue, but he promptly ignored it. "Y-yeah, it would be no trouble at all ma'am." He bowed to her slightly, as was expected of him, yet for some reason unknown to her, Weiss did not take satisfaction in the sight of him groveling.

She cleared her throat and he looked up at her, "In fact, since you're so adamant on breaking social statutes by calling me your _friend_ , and we will be spending more time together, it seems more appropriate that you simply call me Weiss from now on."

Sun could not stop the smile from tugging his lips upward. "It would be an honor, Miss Weiss," he gave her a teasing wink, and Weiss scolded herself for blushing an improper shade of red at such a socially inappropriate display.

A twinge in her stomach alerted her of how late in the morning it had gotten, and if she did not hurry she would miss her high noon meeting with her father to further discuss her possible engagement to the Winchester heir. An activity she inwardly scoffed at, but a duty she had to uphold nonetheless. She cleared her throat and turned away from Sun, her skirts shimmering in the early sunlight, "Now then, back to your chores, I have to see my father about important matters, come find me afterwards to discuss your new status as my hand."

"Yes Miss," he nodded. "And Weiss?"

An odd feeling formed in her chest at the sound of him uttering her name. "Yes?"

"Thank you, and good luck with your dad." Without another word he took her hand in his and pressed a kiss against it. Unlike the last time, Weiss did not pull away, instead noticing how their hands contrasted against each other's. her pale and unmarred flesh held by his rough and calloused palms already coated in dirt from his early morning work.

She found herself staring.


	11. Chapter 10: The Engagement

**Chapter 10: The Engagement**

"So, Lady Weiss, do you spend most of your time in this garden? Most ladies I know would turn up their noses at the very idea of spending time in the outdoors." Cardin Winchester of the Winchester Rifle Company was the suitor Jacques had chosen for Weiss to pursue, as punishment for her being absent at supper when the two were initially supposed to meet.

Her father thought as little of the boy as she did, but since the Winchesters were family friends, Weiss had to endure his company until she could safely confirm him as an unfit match. If Jacques would even still hold her judgement as value. Cardin was in every way not right to be her husband; he was brash, masculine, favored nature and hunting far more than he did the traditions of the upper class, and above all was unbearably immature. However, at least he had his strong suits, physically large with years of experience in providing for others. This made him a viable candidate to one day take over the Schnee Oil Company, but rifles and oil were two very different fields of business, and Weiss feared he would not be up to the task if he was to be her betrothed.

"It is lovely, but I'm sad to say I don't find much time to enjoy it in the day." She fanned herself lightly, trying to deter the heat of the late august morning. The oriental cooling tool had been a gift from Lie Ren to announce his engagement to an eccentric Nordic bride whom he cared about deeply. Weiss had been joyous for her friend and brought back down by the remembrance of her own inevitable marriage.

Cardin did not seem to be listening to a word she said, another problem that poked her nerves constantly. "A shame," he nodded monotonously before returning his thoughtless gaze to the flowers along the path they walked upon.

Rolling her eyes outside of his line of sight, Weiss cleared her throat. "You seem to be quite taken with this year's petunias, should I be worried?" he attempts at sounding flirtatious almost made her gag out loud, but she held back the bile bubbling in her stomach and forced a kittenish smile behind her willow-wood fan.

Cardin, for reasons yet to be discovered, tensed at her question, a rather unattractive redness coating his ears as he attempted to clear his throat of any hesitation. "Of course not, my lessons must still be fresh in my mind is all." He explained quick enough to sow doubt in his credibility.

Weiss knew a fib when she saw one.

Feeling bold, she questioned the boy further. "Oh? What kind of lessons? Perhaps we could exchange what we've learned, like a game?" Oh, how she _loathed_ the girlish and child-like tone she adapted her voice to take on, but Blake taught her that a woman of her status should be coy with an air of wealth and maturity, yet still flirtatious with promise of more when addressing a possible husband. The Faunus herself admitted to thinking it a load of rubbish, but the lengths a woman of the aristocracy must go to secure a marriage were solid if not outdated and horrendously humiliating.

He rubbed the back of his neck, indifferent to the collar of his dress shirt and vest, "I'm afraid my tutor prefers to teach only one pupil at a time, she insists I have no distractions, and can get rather irate when I don't pay attention."

Weiss hummed thoughtfully, thinking back to the rumors surrounding the young heir and his Faunus tutor. She tried to be like Blake and seek the whole truth before drawing her own conclusions, but the opportunity for gossip was surprisingly difficult to dominate.

She was saved however when one of the newer maids came to her aid, Ruby, she remembered. The short-haired girl was out of breath as if she had been running, but remembered to curtsy in the presence of her superiors. "My Lady, tea is ready in the greenhouse for you and Lord Winchester if you'd like to… um… allow me to escort you."

In being so young and inexperienced, the poor girl often stuttered and slipped into an improper tongue when speaking to the members of the family. Though Whitley loved to poke and jibe at her for his own amusement, Weiss took pity on her despite finding her utterly unbearable in her first few weeks of working at the Atlas House. Thankfully, Ruby had yet to bite her tongue in the same room as Jacques, and she feared that if that ever came to pass, the innocent young woman would be fired for a show of disrespect. The naïve fifteen-year-old was sweet and caring, and did her job well, so Weiss often forgave her negligence of proper speech, but her father was never known to hold such kindness.

"Thank you Ruby, you may go."

The young redhead nodded before buzzing off with speeds unbefitting to a lady, but Weiss only rolled her eyes affectionately. "Well she was in a hurry," Cardin chuckled before holding his arm out to her, his eyebrow twitching slightly but going unnoticed by the young lady before him. "Shall we?"

Weiss wanted to scream.

"Of course."

* * *

"What do you think they're talking about?"

Sun had no idea why he was so interested in watching Weiss and Lord Winchester move their mouths and walk together from the open back door of the kitchen, he had no idea what they were saying and was bored to hell and back. So why could he not pull his eyes away?

He took another loud bite from the shiny red apple in his hand, enjoying the fresh summer fruit burst across his tongue, but finding it bitter once it reached his stomach.

From across the room, Yang blew her golden bangs from her eyes with an exasperated puff. "Do you think I know? I'm seeing just as much as you, less actually since _I'm_ still working."

It was true; since Weiss was busy with Cardin for the day, she gave Sun the day off. He chose to entertain himself by helping Yang in the kitchen, but couldn't find the strength to look away from the heiress and her possible future fiancé. Standing next to her in her pristine white dress, the young lord looked unnaturally large and beefy, dwarfing Weiss in sheer size. It was an amusing sight at first glance, but Sun could see the lady's discomfort even from where he stood. It was troubling how much the image of her laughing and smiling with Lord Winchester bothered him, feeling bitterness on the underside of his tongue.

Like the lord shouldn't be there.

His thoughts were interrupted when the kitchen doors opened for a raven-haired beauty in a maid's uniform. Her piercing yellow eyes caught Sun by surprise, even more so when he laid eyes on the black silken bow atop her head. "Lady Weiss has requested that tea be brought to the greenhouse by her personal hand, I suggest you prepare to present yourself before the upper class Mister Wukong," she clipped, her voice low and melodious as her eyes swept over every detail in the kitchen in a matter of seconds.

"Sure, just give me a minute." He replied, reluctant to pull his eyes away from the seemingly happy couple outside, though he could not exactly place why.

The maid did not move from her spot, still looking him over as if attempting to decide if she approved of him or not. "I hope you know how much the Lady is risking by continuing to pay you when her father is insistent on punishing you, to be caught actively defying him would reap… undesirable repercussions." She explained, her bow twitching slightly at the mention of the Master.

Sun looked at her, trapped beneath her amber gaze. "So you've seen him do that kind of stuff before? Yell at her?"

The dark-haired maid sighed, crossing her hands across her person. "I've served at Weiss's side since we were both eleven years old, and trust me when I say yelling is as docile as his temper can be."

Yang chimed in curiously, turning away from the pastries she was icing. "You worked as a maid when you were eleven? Was it rough?"

She nodded, but a smile bloomed across her pale lips. "It was at first, but I was surprised to learn for myself just how kind Weiss can be when she trusts you, unlike the Master and young Lord Whitley she always showed the servants compassion even if she paid the price for it."

Sun looked over his shoulder, back at Weiss who chortled silently at something the Winchester boy said. Though she was smiling and laughing in the midday sun, he could tell when she was faking it. He had seen what her real laugh looked and sounded like, it was breathy and ungraceful and unladylike, everything a genuine laugh was. Weiss didn't save face around her servants because she did not have to; they served her, they never were the ones she had to impress.

He tuned out as Yang continued the conversation with the maid. "So, we never really got your name, we've been here a while now and we don't know that much about any other servants besides Klein."

Her bow twitched again. "There used to be other servants, but they either were fired or left because of unknown circumstances. My name is Blake, Blake Belladonna."

"Unknown circumstances?"

Her bow bent back against her head, causing both Sun and Yang to realize the garment concealed a pair of Faunus ears, and she sighed. "It is not my place to support such rumors, but I was good friends with master Whitley's personal butler Kougyoku Kuro. In the weeks before his departure, he was stressed, paranoid, and constantly staring off into space as if he wasn't a part of this world… and when he left, it was sudden and mysterious… and I haven't heard a word from him since."

Sun tapped his fingers curiously. "Do you think the young lord could've done something to get him fired?" he asked.

Blake shook her head. "The rumor was that the young lord was having a love affair with Kuro, and that the Master found out, and removed him immediately… but I wouldn't be my life on that claim, so much of the aristocracy is rumored to have secret lovers and taboo relations that it's impossible to know the truth."

"What does that have to do with Weiss, if I may ask?" Sun exclaimed, having briefly forgotten about Weiss and Lord Winchester as they disappeared within the iridescent greenhouse walls. His fellow Faunus servant trapped him in her amber stare, pulling him deeper and deeper into the bright yet shadowy pools until she knew every secret he possessed.

She readjusted her bow, preventing the ears beneath from twitching and flicking so frequently. "Lady Weiss is engaged to be married, to whom I don't know, but it is going to happen if the Master continues to have a say in it." She explained, folding her hands over her skirt. "I'm coming here as an ally to a fellow Faunus, and am telling you that if you continue down this path with Weiss, you both may find yourselves added to the endless rumors, and believe me… she has much more to lose than you."

Without awaiting a reply, Blake pushed through the doors connecting the kitchen to the mansion, and disappeared.

* * *

 _Stupid, dumb… neck trap!_

Sun grumbled to himself as he furiously tried to loosen his bowtie, baffled at the possibility of such a frilly piece of fabric could strangulate him so brutally. Pushing the tea cart and listening to the delicate clinking of the china did little to draw his thoughts away from where they were no longer welcome. He kept thinking about Blake's words and the advice she had given him; to leave Weiss alone to spare her from any unsavory rumors that would no doubt taint her good name. A lady of the upper class being _friends_ with her servant was unheard of, and often resulted in the immediate assumption that sexual encounters were involved. When Sun had given it thought his cheeks burned brighter than his namesake; he had no ill intentions towards the Lady, he only wanted to be her friend.

Perhaps though, it would be better to keep a safe distance. Sun did not want to give up the friendship he was building with Weiss, but they were born on two completely opposite ends of the social spectrum, and he had to be smart if he was to spare her from the possible consequences.

When he entered the greenhouse, he was bombarded with the natural perfumes of the late summer flowers that bloomed inside. Scents of jasmine, and gardenia, and honeysuckle flooded his nose with an array of sweetness, the midday sun peeking through the crystalline walls and casting an alluring sparkle to each blossom as they swayed in the breeze like soft jewels.

Weiss and Lord Winchester were already seated at the ivory metal table draped in white cloth, and she was, to say the least, a vision in the sun. Her demeanor, usually so frigid, was cast in rays of warmth and shades of gold, each gem on her dress glittering like stars across her snowy bodice. Blake's advice to keep distance went out the window as he could not pull his eyes away from his Lady, even her hair shimmered like liquid pearls with the light dancing through each strand.

Her eyes meeting his drew him back, a light smile gracing her face as he stopped the cart beside the table, his cheeks burning to the point he feared Weiss would question it. "Tea for the Sir and Madam?" he asked, thankful that his words did not waver.

"None for me thank you, never much cared for the stuff." Lord Winchester answered.

Weiss gave him a weak smile, reaching for a blueberry scone as Sun poured her a cup of the ginseng Yang had prepared. The blond-haired servant laid the porcelain teapot on the table along with a plate of light sandwiches and various other scones, the Winchester boy continuing their chat as though the Faunus wasn't even there.

"So, do you by chance enjoy the outdoors?"

The pale girl shook her head. "I can appreciate the garden from time to time, and my daily rides are very precious to me, though I'm afraid I find little joy in much else." She explained. Sun remembered Yang and Ruby gossiping about how much the young heir loved hunting and camping, as well as how little Weiss cared for such things.

Cardin perked up slightly. "Well if you're fond of horses, perhaps you'd join me on a ride of mine, next week my father and brothers and I are all going into the forest for game, it should halter a real feast."

Sun could practically _feel_ Weiss wince in disgust; she enjoyed nature it was true, but roughing it in the wilderness with rifles and game for a week must've sounded absolutely dreadful.

"I'm afraid a lady like me would not take to such activities," she sipped from her cup to avoid his eyes. The Winchester boy deflated at her answer, leaning back in his chair and tapping his fingers against the tablecloth.

Silence stretched between them, neither one wanting to start the conversation once more. While his company wasn't as grating on her nerves as Henry Marigold's had been, Cardin Winchester lived in a different world than Weiss did; with his mind always on the great outdoors and his Faunus tutor, he had rarely spoken of anything else.

In a sense… he was boring.

But he seemed to be the only suitor out of the dozens she had met with that did not make her eyes ache from rolling them or her skin crawl under their scrutinizing gazes. Perhaps being married to a boring husband was better than being married to a snob or a pervert, and who was she kidding? Of course it was.

It just wasn't what she wanted.

Sun tried to push the teacart forward and disappear before he outstayed his welcome, but one of the wheels caught itself on a particularly unevenly layered cobblestone. He attempted to dislodge it but it backfired horribly out of his favor and tipped over entirely. The metal creaked as it crashed into the table, scattering the foods and tea upon it in a horrid mess. Sun attempted to at least save the cart but his sleeve caught and he went over with an ugly shattering of glass and clinking of silverware.

By the time he regained his bearings, his face had turned bright red from the hot tea that had spilled from the broken pot onto his head and shoulders, and a small squeak of surprise sounded from beneath him. His blue eyes opened to see an equally tea-soaked Weiss Schnee lying perfectly between where his arms pinned her down, her now ruined skirt flowing out from between his legs as she stared up at him with red cheeks of her own. The ginseng had soaked through her bodice, no doubt permanently damaging the fabric, but she didn't seem to notice anything besides the Faunus boy above her; never breaking eye-contact as she struggled to regain the breath she had lost.

A moment passed between them as their eyes locked, a golden droplet dripping down to land on her cheek like a bead of pure sunlight against a floor of fallen snow.

When the Winchester boy called out for Weiss and promptly shoved Sun off of her, the moment was gone, replaced by the outraged shouting of the young lord as the pair slowly began to return from where they just were.

All of it only muffled noise in Sun's ear, continuing to stare into Weiss's glacial blue eyes as the tea that soaked him to the bone turned cold on his skin.

* * *

 **Oooooooooh! Things are getting heated and I don't just mean the tea! ;)**


End file.
